


The Mighty Liger

by ObsidianShift



Category: X-Men (Original Timeline Movies)
Genre: F/M, Heartbreak, Love, Mild torture, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-19 19:19:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 59,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9457022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsidianShift/pseuds/ObsidianShift
Summary: This story follows my character, Chisana, through part of her long life. Growing up around the Wolverine and the Sabretooth makes life easier when you can regenerate. Fighting the wars, finding life and with it love of a particular cigar smoking Canadian make the adventures worth it for this Liger. Teen rating until later chapters when it will be changed.





	1. Separation

**Author's Note:**

> Marvel owns everything but the story and Chisana.

It had been a while since she'd gotten away from the madness. Looking about the bar, her eyes settled back on James who was sitting swirling his whiskey in his glass. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were almost glazed over as his mind ran over his plans in his head. Clearing her throat, she smiled a bit as his concentration broke and his eyes lifted to meet hers. There was no smile across his face, but there was a glint in his eyes that told her she had his full attention. 

“You've heard more about Stryker, haven't you..?” Her voice was soft in the noise that surrounded them, but he heard perfectly and grunted, the glint in his eyes disappearing as he looked away a bit. She was right, just as she always was. They'd grown so close that he was predictable when he was focused. “Where is the source leading you this time...?” Still quiet, she took a sip of her own drink and let her eyes peer up out from beneath her hair. 

Looking over to her again, he sighed roughly as her eyes began to swirl with orange and blue. Confusion and sadness. She knew that with him having had another source, he would leave just as he had every source before. She knew that he would disappear for who knew how long and not make contact until he returned. It was painful to love him, and he was well aware of it. That's why he adored her the way he did. She stuck around even though he put her through this so often. And if she wasn't there to meet him, he would understand.

“South America...” He rumbled, his fingers running over the glass before he picked it up to finish it off in one swig. The bartender poured him yet another and with a wary look in his eyes, walked away. They were regulars and this was nothing new. They'd sit for hours, whispering to each other, hardly making eye contact. To others it would be odd behavior, but to them it was public appearance. They were both always on edge. “South Chile...” He added, looking over at her for a moment only to frown as he saw the stress plaster itself across her face.

“I understand, James...” Her voice was even softer. She hated this. “I think this time I'll take my own vacation from reality...” She added, her mind running over reasons not to stay in town alone. One being Creed and the other being the sheer loneliness that turned her into a bitter old cat. Looking up to meet his gaze, she felt a small pang as she saw the look of sympathy. She hated that look as much as she hated the idea of him leaving again. He moved his hand over and put it atop her own, giving it a squeeze and leaving it for a while.

“Chisana...” He rumbled, and looked down at his glass. “Thank you...” His rumble had quietened and he was avoiding eye contact now. “Same rules as usual...” He added, looking to her for a brief second to see her nod. With her agreement, he removed his hand from hers and looked outside over his shoulder. “I'll leave tomorrow... One more night before...” He couldn't even speak the sentence. He knew how much it hurt her and refused to put her through the fact that it was reality. He was leaving again.

“One more night sounds nice.” Chi felt her voice break a bit and looked off, away from him. “Let's go finish off the whiskey at the house...” She muttered, and, hearing him grunt, got up and lead the way back to their run down little pick up. Wincing a bit as he slammed the driver side door, she let out a small sigh.

The ride back to the house was quiet. Tensions between them were a bit thicker this time around. Once they'd arrived at the house, they parked out front and he got out, opening both the car door and front door for her, hoping that the gestures would cheer her up if even a bit. It wasn't until they had opened up the whiskey and tequila that she seemed to calm a bit. She'd plopped down on the couch and he wandered over to the record player, turning it on. 

Looking down at the little hellion sitting on the couch, he couldn't help but smirk. She was a beautiful creature, so sophisticated and worldly. There wasn't a thing about her that wasn't classy. And just as that thought crossed his mind, she stuck out her tongue at him. 

With a chuckle, he sat down next to her and pulled her legs up over his lap. Resting a hand on her thigh, he looked up in to the magenta coloured eyes he'd grown to cherish. That colour looked the best upon her. Moving his hand to run through her hair, it rested on her cheek and she nuzzled in to it gently.

“Don't think I'm upset, James. I know full well that you'll either find what you're looking for or you'll come home and calm down until the next source decides to show up.” She spoke softly, her eyes watching his features change as she did. He'd gone from relaxed to a bit down and his hand had dropped from her cheek. 

With a sigh, she sat her glass down on the table next to her before getting up to move the center table to the side. She saw him tilt his head out of the corner of her eye and smiled. Walking over to him once there was room in the floor, she took his glass from him and sat it to the side before pulling him up from the couch. “You're mine tonight, so just...humor me...” She almost purred only to pull him to the middle of the floor and he took the hint. 

Putting an arm at her hip, he took her hand with his unoccupied one and began to slowly lead a slow dance between the two. After a few minutes, when they had both began to cut loose, he would twirl her and dip her. She was so fun and spontaneous. 

They'd only ever dance like that a few times together, but it was always saved for a special occasion. This was certainly one of those occasions. Pulling her close, he softly let his lips rest against hers and heard her sigh out. Pulling back, there was a smirk across his face as she had trouble maintaining her simple motor functions. 

“So in love with you am I...” She purred, opening her eyes slowly to reveal the deep magenta. He always knew just how to stop the bad moods from keeping her too far down. Putting a hand to his rough cheek, she smiled up at him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his nose. 

“I couldn't ever stay mad at you...or anyone as long as you're there to do something like that...” Her voice was silken, and her words a bit rushed from the feeling in her gut. No matter how long they'd been together, he would always give her butterflies.

“I love you too, Chi.” He rumbled, smiling as he pulled her close, his hand resting on the small of her back. In just a few movements, she was sitting in his lap on the couch, curled up against him as the music began to slow to a stop. Running his fingers through her short jet black hair, he smirked as she purred and looked up at him. He was almost shocked to see a tear rolling down her cheek. 

“You have a bad feeling about it all, don't you...”?” That was about the only time she ever let a tear slip. When she felt there was something to go wrong, but no way to control the outcome. He watched her nod and pulled her closer, kissing her head as he did so. After a moment, he stood up with her in his arms, walking toward the bedroom and flipping switches with her feet which caused her to let out a few giggles.

Setting her down on her side of the bed, she looked up at him with a small smile. Turning, he walked over to the bathroom and turned on the light, only to raise a brow as he heard some rustling and look back, only to not see Chi anywhere. With a sigh, he turned the light back off and walked back to the bed, only to let himself get tackled onto the bed. She was a little hellion alright. With a grunt, he rolled over and lay atop her, smirking as she struggled beneath him. 

“Oh you big lug!” She growled, only to stop for a moment, huffing and puffing from her failed escape attempt. Looking about, she realized that his neck was just sitting before her, waiting to get bit. Opening her mouth slowly, she let her teeth hit his skin and draw them over it which caused him to tense and growl low. With a smirk, she bit down and almost grinned as he began to growl louder. It was fun to push his buttons and watch him squirm.

Slowly, he sat up and then turned to look down at her and huff at her as she grinned innocently. He saw her eyes locked on his neck which was healing over. With a grunt, he fell over her and pinned her down, his eyes locked on hers which swirled orange. 

She wanted to know his next move, but he had no intention of letting on just what he would do next. Moving his face ever closer to hers, he let his lips hover less than an inch from hers and smirked a bit as she began to get frustrated. After a few minutes of torture, she turned her head and began to pout.

“Chisana...” He crooned and as she turned her head to face him, he heard her let out a small little noise as he kissed her fiercely. She'd begun to kiss back and after a moment, his hand found her hair and tangled itself in her short locks, pulling her over him as he rolled. Pulling back, he smiled up at her as his fingers untangled themselves. A look of sheer happiness playing over her features as he watched her smile back down at him. “Don't think I won't miss you...” His fingers moved her bangs from her face and his thumb ran over her cheek. 

“I know, dear heart...” She replied, almost a little more mature than usual. And not being much younger than James, that was saying something. She wanted to profess her feelings again, as she had years ago. But he knew. She knew he would never forget her and he would always come back. Her hands moved down to the bottom of his shirt and slowly peeled the garment from him. He sighed out and she felt his hands run up her back underneath her shirt, removing it easily. Plucking her bra from her, she couldn't help but blush a bit. “James...”

He shushed her and unbuttoned her pants before slowly sliding them down her slender legs and dropping them to the side of the bed. Resting a hand on her thigh, he smiled up at her and gently rolled so that she fell to the bed beside him. Peeling his own pants from himself, he tossed them aside as well before pulling her close to his chest, her ear finding his heart just as it always did. From what he'd seen, it had been the only thing to ever calm her completely.

Before long she'd lost the world around her, only aware enough to feel him kiss her forehead and whisper his love for her before giving in to sleep himself still holding her close.  
\-------------------------

As night turned to morning, she found herself restless early on. He would leave that day and she would be left with herself, going on a “vacation”. Looking up at James out from under her hair she let out a small sigh and ran her fingertips over his chest, only to jump a bit as his hand moved to hold hers to his chest. Looking back up to his face, she locked eyes on his and they just stared for a moment.

His grumbles broke the silence and he began to pull her closer up against him, putting her hand to his cheek as he did. Looking down at her, he sighed roughly and put his lips to hers softly, relaxing as he felt her kiss back. Her legs managed to wrap themselves around him and he held her tight, his face buried in her hair. Slowly, he sat up in the bed, keeping her in his lap and letting her just hold on. 

“Hey...” He gruffed, only to smirk as she spoke a muffled 'what'. “Where are you taking your vacation...?” His voice was a low rumbled that seemed to keep her from breaking just yet.

“I was thinking... Maybe somewhere around the Appalachians...” She mused, only having pulled far enough away from him to speak. She could get lost in the passes and peaks there. Hide away from them all. “Up in the Canadian provinces...” She added quietly, her gaze locked on his chest, watching him breathe. That's all she wanted to see, until the end of time. That's all she wanted, was for there to be a them, not just a her. He moved a bit and she looked up to see him pull away a bit more.

“I think that's a good idea... It's a good chance to be yourself...” He moved her bangs from her face and smiled down at her a bit, but she could see the look in his eyes. He was trying to convince himself to go it alone and let her do the same. 

But he would always go alone. There were too many risks if something should go wrong. He didn't want another death on his hands. She was someone he wouldn't spare to the complexities of his life. And he knew that she would always be there when he returned.

Remembering for a moment, there had been one time she had gone with him, when it was a chance to see Guam. They had gone together and met with his source, but before they could make any headway in their pursuit, Creed and appeared and a stand off ensued. It was tense, but only until Chi had told him to “fuck off” and walked right past him without so much as flinching. He had remembered seeing Victor flinch only to let out a roar before disappearing into the jungle around them.

Nodding a little, she looked off, out the window. The sun had barely begun to rise and the colours were beautiful. There was something about the sky that morning that made her a little less worried, but there was still a gut feeling she had. 

Something was wrong, or would be wrong, for one of them. But in the time they had left, she didn't dare waste the precious hours. Looking back to him, she slowly unwrapped herself and stepped off the bed, taking his hand and pulling him with her to the bathroom. 

He smirked and followed her, working his boxers off once they were both in the room. He watched her peel her underwear from her body and then smirked as she blushed a bit after seeing him staring. Walking over to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, placing a kiss on her forehead. He heard her sigh and chuckled a bit. Letting her go, he moved over to the shower and turned the water on, letting it warm up before stepping in. 

Watching him move away from her, she couldn't help but copy his actions and stare. Tilting her head a bit as he disappeared behind the curtain, she decided it was her turn to step in. Peeking around the curtain, she watched the water roll down his back and smiled as she stepped in behind him, wrapping her arms around him and relaxing against him as the water soon began to roll down her. Letting out a small sigh, she felt him tense and he abruptly turned and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

A bit taken aback, she took a moment before wrapping her arms around his broad chest, burying her face in it as she did. One of his hands moved up to her head to hold her close. In her mind, this was all because she had said she had a bad feeling. He believed her every time she had ever had one. Usually she was right, and that was the problem. He knew she would be right, but he didn't know in what way. She felt his hand slowly fall from her head and pulled away from him, but only enough to see his face.

“Chi...” He seemed to have a hitch in his voice as it rumbled to life. Her eyes met his and she couldn't tell if it was the water or if some small meager tear had decided to betray such a powerful man as him. “I will come back... If it kills me, I'll come back.” His hand moved to her cheek and she leaned against it softly. He kept his eyes on hers and grunted as he watched them swirl blue and magenta. She'd become an easy book for him, all it took were her eyes, no need for the rest of her to change anymore.

“James...” She sighed and shook her head a bit as she looked down. “I know. I'll be here. Unless I'm dead, I'll be here...” She smiled a bit only to look off again. The feeling was getting stronger, and she had a feeling it was her turn for disaster. Frowning a bit, she heard him let out a sigh and turned back to place a soft kiss upon his lips. A gentle kiss was returned and they both washed up, without a word, constantly needing just to touch one another to make sure the other was still there.

After the shower, they both toweled off and began to pack their own bags. It was a tense silence, but not from anger. If either of them spoke, the other would feel the need to break. It was just as it had always been. There would be silence until they parted at which point there would be a profession of love, a promise to return and a kiss that would linger for what would feel like forever. Pulling on her sleeker clothes, she grabbed her buck knife and attached the sheath to her belt, making sure it would stay put. Grabbing her boots, she pulled them tight and looked up at him as he slid a shirt over himself. 

Tilting her head just a bit, she looked about only to see both their dog tags on the dresser. Grabbing the two pairs, she held his out to him. Taking them, he took hers as well and placed it around her neck gently. As his hand graced her hair, he watched it flicker blue. 

It was the first time in such a long time that her colours had done such a thing. Tilting his head gently, he put his hand to her cheek and brushed her bangs from her face. She almost jumped from his touch, seeing as it brought her back to reality. 

“Chi, I don't have to go...” He muttered, putting his forehead to hers as he stood before her. “I can stay...” He added, putting a hand on each of her cheeks, wiping away a stray tear. He watched her shake her head and could already hear her argument. It was important to him, it needed to happen. She wasn't a ball and chain and he could go where he pleased, just as long as he came back. “Okay...” A muttered word that caused her to sigh a bit. 

Nodding, she took her bag from the bed and threw it over her shoulder, watching him do the same before leading the way to the truck. He opened her door and took her bag from her as she got in, setting it in the back with his before getting in and starting the truck up. Looking over at her, he took her hand, holding it the whole way to the plane. Once there, they both took their time getting out of the vehicle, he walked over and opened her door again, only taking his bag from the back. 

Walking over to the plane, he stopped in his tracks, as did she. Both of them stared before them, only to slowly turn, almost at the same time, to one another. Their eyes were both dim, worn with stress already. Taking his hand, she looked up at him and he looked back down at her before pulling her close. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she closed her eyes in an attempt not to let the tears fall. 

“I love you Chi...” He whispered, kissing the side of her head.

“I love you too James...” She replied, her voice breaking with every word. “Promise you'll come back to me... Promise.” She whispered, almost gripping him too tight. The threat of the propellers starting caused her to tense and hold him closer. She felt his fingers tangle in her hair and was relieved as he pulled away to place a kiss upon her lips, a fierce but gentle passion. Kissing back, she held his face close and felt her whole body swirl blue if only for a second. She was losing control. 

“I promise.” He rumbled as he pulled back, looking down at his little Chisana. “I'll be back.” Pulling away from her slowly, he held her hand as he walked away, letting go slowly as he headed toward the plane. Looking back for as long as he could, he turned before it could break him down. There wasn't much he was emotional about, but Chi was someone special. He heard her let out a sob, but refused to turn back. She needed to be strong and if he looked back, it would break her even more.

She walked back to the truck and sat down in the drivers seat, quickly hiding herself in her coat. She could feel her colours swirling and raging. There was no control. She heard the plane roar to life as it began to move and composed herself enough to look out the window. She thought, for a moment, that she could see him staring at the truck. Putting her hand to the truck window, she watched the plane lift from the ground and take off, watching it until she couldn't see it anymore. 

Looking back at the wheel, she rested her head against it and took a deep breath. Stopping for a moment, she thought a familiar scent had crossed her path, but in an instant it was gone again. Taking deep breaths, she started the truck, and after a moment of calm, she started off toward the East.

\------------------------------------

For about a month and a half, she spent time roaming the Appalachians. Hiking to peaks and hiding out in a cabin just up from the Canadian United border. At the end of a month and a half, she had had enough of the wilderness. 

She missed the city. And it was probably time for James to be returning. Early in the morning, she grabbed her bag and locked up the cabin. Looking out over the snow covered forest ground, she smiled a bit. The thought of being back with James was exciting. It would be a trek back to the truck, but at least it was safe. 

Walking through a rather dense and wooded area, she had to silence her heavy breathing as she looked about at the sound of a twig snapping. Slowly, she came to a stop. Looking around, she took a deep breath and her eyes widened. Looking off toward the horizon, she saw a figure. It was him. “

Victor?” She whispered, a flash of memories running through her head. They had been together for a while after James had left. And while Victor was sweet to her, his killing sprees had gotten out of control. And being with Victor wasn't the same as it was with James who was full of compassion and understanding instead of just sympathy. James was right to leave, and she followed his example, seeking him out once she was free.

He began to run toward her at an alarming pace and just before he could reach her, a shot rang out in the distance. It was the sound of Zero's sniper rifle. As the thought process ran through her head, she connected the dots. Victor was still working for Stryker. But instead of being a mercenary, he was a simple hunting dog. He'd lead Zero right to her. He'd betrayed her. 

Just as her thought process finished, she felt the pain in the right side of her chest. Zero's bullet had hit her in the lung and it was quickly becoming hard to breath. Her lung was collapsing and the pain was unbearable. Her colours flared blue at the thought of never seeing James again. She had promised that she would be there when he returned, and now... She had told him the only way she wouldn't is if she were dead. He'd think her dead and move on. Falling to the snow, she let her tears fall. 

“I'm so sorry James...” She whispered, staring up at the sky.

In a matter of seconds, Victor stood over her and it almost seemed like he was panicking. He was muttering things but she couldn't tell just what. Her vision had begun to blur and there were spots ever encroaching as she began to gasp for air. 

“Victor...” She groaned, reaching up for him, but he didn't even offer help. Instead, she saw another, more slender figure appear and Victor just backed away. Without warning, Zero rolled her over forcefully and dropped a knee to the middle of her back before binding her and looking over his shoulder. A familiar voice sounded, but she couldn't make out the words. 

In a matter of seconds, her world had gone dark.

\------------------------------------

Grabbing at her chest, she felt the scar that remained and opened her eyes only slightly. Looking around without moving, she found herself on a table and couldn't really move. Looking down at her chest, she saw the strap going across her. Then, at her hips and ankles another strap. Her mind started to spin. What were they going to do to her? Why were they doing it? It's not like she'd done anything other than leave. 

That's when she noticed a small man across the room. He was shorter, and with glasses atop a rather interesting nose. His hair was almost all but gone and he was slender, almost sickly looking but it was obvious that he was in good health. As he heard her struggle, he turned with a rather sadistic looking smile playing upon his features. He slowly walked over to her, a syringe in his hand. In it, was some greenish looking liquid.

“Well then. If you're going to become a project X weapon... We'll have to see just how good your regeneration powers really are... And we'll start with some simple tests. In this vial...” He flicked it with a finger. “Is a chemical known as chloroform. I'm going to inject it in to your blood stream and we'll see if it kills you or not...” His voice was calm, as if he was stating facts, not threatening her in the slightest. As she began to struggle a bit, he let out a mall chuckle. 

“Dear girl. There's no point in that. This table was made with your super strength in mind. So. Let us begin.” He moved the needle to her left arm, which was completely strapped down and pushed the needle in to her skin and pushed the plunger down.

So many sensations hit her all at once, causing her colours to go flying into reds and blacks and whites. She felt the burn of the chemical and the want to sleep. Her heart started to pound in an off rhythm and her mind started to haze over. 

She began to scream without knowing it, all sorts of gibberish spewing from her. Looking over to the doctor, she attempted to move her right hand toward him, but instead she began to spasm. The tears started to stream down her cheeks and she saw an image of James before her. Her face contorted and before long she was pulled into the blackness again.

After what felt like mere hours, she opened her eyes and wanted to grab her head. The pounding in it was ridiculous. Looking down at her left arm, she saw that the wound had completely closed up. With a sigh of relief, she let her head fall back again and then she heard a door open. Slowly, she began to move on the table, as though it were being pushed. Looking around her wildly, she saw the room change to more of a chamber.

“I see you've survived...” The doctor's voice was muffled, and she couldn't see him. “So on to another test we go. I see you've noticed the change in scenery.” He was smiling, she could hear it. And as he spoke, a door shut and the room went black. Looking about, she could see nothing, but there was a different smell in the air. And then it hit her. 

“Mustard Gas...” She whispered, only it must have been magnified outside the room. “Yes! That's correct! You get to lay in the gas chamber while we pump it full of mustard gas!” He seemed so thrilled with himself. “Let's begin!” He almost laughed and she heard the sound of hissing as the gas was released.

With a gasp, she attempted to hold her breath as long as she could, but after about two minutes, she had to take a breath. With a scream, she felt her skin beginning to blister and her lungs beginning to burn. After a few minutes, the mustard gas was fighting to overwhelm her, and yet her powers were beginning to get strong, the regeneration becoming quicker. 

With a roar, she began to trash about and the gas had begun to thin. Once it was completely settled, the door opened and she was wheeled out of the chamber. With a gasp, the fresh air filled her lungs and in a matter of seconds she was completely recovered.

Walking over to her, he smirked. “I think that's enough for today...” Looking to his two little assistants, he nodded. “Take her to the hole.” He stated flatly, before walking over to his boards and notes. He was 'hmm'ing over everything. “We'll have to let her rest for a few days before we can continue.”

As much as she wanted to scream and fight, her strength was gone. Just two tests and there was nothing left of her that day. Looking around, she watched the scenery change. They'd gone from what appeared to be a medical facility to a long and winding catacomb. 

Her eyes began to count the small cells they'd walked by and once they'd stopped, she felt herself being untied. It was a chance to flee, but she simply couldn't. Her mind was too worn and her limbs didn't want to move. They picked her up and set her down just inside the cell door before slamming it shut, leaving her to the dark. There was no one around her, just some dark and dank little cells.

With a sigh, she walked over to a small bed of hay and sat down, her arms wrapping around her legs and she pulled them close. There was no comfort, no warmth, just herself and the thought of what James would think when he returned home only to not find her anywhere... “James...” She let out a small sniff and then let her colours blue as her tears began to fall. Why break her in this way? Why do these things...?

\---------------------------------

“Why didn't you tell me it was Noelle?!” Victor roared, standing before Stryker and Zero in the conference room. They had both taken seats on the opposite side from him, staring away from his fists and claws. “There's no reason to bring her here!” His breathing was fast and his heart was pounding, They had tricked him in to unwillingly betraying her. She would sit in the catacombs for who knew how long. All because of him.

“Because if I had told you it was Noelle, you would have never agreed to go on the hunt in the fist place. I'm not stupid, Victor.” Stryker smiled up at him from his chair in a most mocking manner. “Besides, we're simply testing her endurance. Just a few more tests and we'll release her...” He almost cooed his words, but Victor knew better than to trust the sugar coated lies. 

“What tests...?” He growled, his fists clenched and sitting on the table. He was coiled and ready to pounce at this point. They had no reason to take her in that way... But then again she probably wouldn't have left James willingly. He felt a small pang in his heart and growled again, tilting his head as he waited for his answer.

“Simple experiments. I believe today she was subject to liquid chloroform and mustard gas. Nothing she can't survive.” Stryker's voice was so condescending. He looked to Zero who nodded to confirm and then looked to Victor with a smirk. They were both so smug with their capture and just what it was doing to Victor. “Nothing will harm her, as long as you continue to do good work, Victor.” He added, standing up to walk closer to the beast that was before him.


	2. Torturous

After what felt like weeks, or maybe months, she had no idea which anymore, they returned one evening. As the door opened, she felt the familiar want to run. They approached her and grabbed her, cuffing her hands behind her back as they did. Each grunt was holding a small, almost miniature cattle prod. Growling at the two, she yelped as a prod landed in the middle of her back. Crying out again as it hit, she felt her strength drain.

Once they'd reached the medical facility portion of the underground, she saw the doctor sitting at a desk, looking over things again. As he heard them enter with her, he smiled and turned only to see the defeated look on her face. “I told you not to shock her!” He yelled, rushing over to the grunts and grabbing a prod from one, shocking them both in succession. 

“Don't. Injure. The patients!” He roared, shocking them with each word. Once he had felt the punishment was complete, he looked over to her and nodded toward the table only to glare as she refused to move. “It's simple blood tests...” He grunted and nodded to a grunt who grabbed her and lifted her up, strapping her down once she was flat.

“Why...?” She asked softly, her muscles tense and her eyes black from the lack of sleep. Her colours had begun to fade and her mind was beginning to haze over. “Why are you doing this?” She added, blinking a few times as she rolled her head to the side to look at the doctor. He just grinned at her and walked over to grab an empty syringe and a few vials. 

“To make sure you're in peak condition. I know they haven't been feeding you. It'll be interesting to see just what the results show. I can only imagine you're close to a mild delirium by now...” He muttered, only to move over and shove the needle in to her right arm, hitting a vein instantly. 

He pulled a good four or five vials from her which left the room spinning with vibrant colours. Looking over to his grunts, he sneered at them and said a command, but she didn't hear it. The sound of the world was gone in her stupor, but she did feel the table begin to move. 

They entered another room and to the side, she saw some sort of small, single person chamber. It was blacked out and there were one tube running to it. There were only instruments used for monitoring. She felt herself begin to panic and looked over to the doctor, searching for a smile, but it wasn't there. Even he didn't like the room.

“We're going to put you in this chamber and leave you there for a few days...” His voice was low and she watched him nod again to his grunts. They unstrapped her before pulling her from the table and strapping her limbs together at her shoulders, chest, hip, knees, and ankles. 

She wanted to freak out, but the lack of food and blood had her almost paralyzed. As they lifted her up and set her in the chamber, a few small sensors were placed to her chest and the side of her head, then linked to the panel before her. 

“It will deprive you of oxygen. Should you survive, we will let you feast. If you die...well.. You die.” He shrugged, only to begin to close the door. “Goodnight..” He added with a small smirk before shutting the door and sealing it.

Without being able to see out, the panic set in. Looking around, she could see nothing The lights of the sensors and been taped over and the small glow they could have created was silenced. Not only were they depriving her of oxygen, but they were depriving her of light and sound as well. Without control, she screamed, her body squirming as she tried to escape the bonds but it was of no use. She was stuck and the air was slowly beginning to thin.

Closing her eyes, she chose to let memories replay in her mind to keep herself occupied, to keep the misery at bay. There was the memory of first meeting James and just how stoic he had been...and then a few years later he was the sweetest soul she'd ever met. He managed to surprise her so many times with just how real he was. She was used to Victor who was the strong type. Never emotional or raw like James... 

She blacked out what felt like hours.

A huge gasp escaped her as she panicked again and trashed about as best she could in the wraps. She could feel her body and it was cold to the touch. Looking around wildly, she began to throw her head against the glass repeatedly, trying so desperately to break it. She wanted out, NOW. She wasn't aware of it just yet, but every time she hit the glass, just as the wound formed, it healed. It was almost instantaneous. Growling loud, she let out a roar and before she knew it the door opened. There was a sudden head rush, as though she'd gotten up to quick, but it was the oxygen returning to her body.

With a growl, she opened her eyes slowly, a massive headache hitting her as the lights blinded her. Feeling a hand on her, she thrashed toward it and growled low as it held on, pulling her from the chamber. Slowly, some sort of tinted glasses were put on her face and she could open her yes fully.

There was something different. Her sense of smell was stronger. She could probably tell them just what they'd eaten two days ago. And as a sound down the hall echoed, she tilted her head. It was clear just what the object was and how far away it was.

Taking another deep breath, she could smell food moving closer to her. Looking over to the doctor, who had a huge grin over his face, she huffed and growled. She'd survived, which meant she would finally get to eat for the first time in a long time. She wished she could tell just how long it had been.

“You survived! And it looks like we've managed to accelerate your powers...” He walked over to her and, taking a scalpel, cut her arm with a swift motion. Just as her growl escaped, she looked down and saw the wound was no more. 

Furrowing her brow, she looked from her arm to the doctor, only to look back to it. Her pixels, which usually only covered her hands and hair, had climbed up to about her biceps and on her legs up to her thighs. She felt her cheeks and the present pixels were more numerous. Sighing a bit, she looked back to the doctor.

“Food.” She rasped, her voice rough. Her stomach was growling and her mind was racing at the thought of finally having a meal. “Food, please.” She almost begged, ashamed of herself for showing such weakness. But when she saw the doctor nod, a huge sigh of relief left her chest, the stress rolling away for a bit. 

He walked over to a table he had set up and nodded to the grunt holding her. He walked her over to the chair and sat her in it, strapping her to it before releasing the straps that held her arms in place.

Looking at the door way, she saw the silver glint of a tray table and heard the wheels squeaking. It was painful to hear so well, but there was something about being so much more powerful in that way that it was thrilling to her. And then the smell of roast, mashed potatoes, and steamed veggies hit her nose. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and then the food appeared just as she opened them again. It was hard to resist drooling.

“Going that many months without food will do you no good.” The doctor stated as he walked over to the tray and picked it up, placing it before her. He watched her pick up a fork and pull the roast apart. “Please. There's no need for formalities. You must be starving...” He muttered, walking over to pick up his clip board. She looked up at him and frowned, still insisting on using her utensils. 

After what seemed like a good forty minutes, her plate was spotless and the glass of water they had set before had been emptied at least a few times. He had been taking notes the entire time and then smirked at the sight of the empty plate. 

“Now, it's back to the hole for you.” He muttered, only to nod to the grunt who stepped toward her with what appeared to be a straight jacket. 

Growling, she watched him approach and tensed as he got closer. Just when he thought he was close enough to place it on her, her compliance disappeared. Grabbing his arm, she hit it quickly and it bent in the wrong direction, breaking it with ease. Her strength had grown. With a smirk she looked at the doctor who sighed out before picking up a pistol. He loaded some fuzzy looking dart in to it and looked back to her. 

“We can't have you acting out like that...” He mused, only to aim the pistol at her heart and pull the trigger.

With a 'pop' kind of noise, she saw the dart leave the chamber and then winced as the rather long tip embedded itself in the center of her chest. Immediately, her vision blurred and sound muffled. They pulled her hands straight out and bound her in the straight jacket. 

Lifting her from the seat, they sat her in a wheel chair this time. Pushing her back down the catacombs, she looked around as they did, her sight blurred and spinning. Stopping at her cell, they grabbed her from the chair, unstrapped her and removed the jacket before shoving her in and laughing as they shut the door and walked away.

Looking around herself, she felt the tranq start to wear off and her vision corrected itself. With a growl, she sat down in the floor and glanced down the hall. For a moment, she thought she'd heard someone and got her hopes up that maybe, just maybe, James had been worried enough to find her. But it faded off in to the distance. Sighing out, she relaxed against the rock wall and stared in to the nothingness.

They'd mostly left her alone for the better part of three years, only feeding her the minimal amount. The water was even more scarce than that. Her hair had grown a bit, and her colours had all but blacked out. There wasn't a need to express herself like she had in the years before. 

They would occasionally run tests. Freezing her near death, blood work, even a few spinal taps which would always send her in to fits. They even went so far as to inject her with other mutant DNA, though none of them ever seemed to stick. 

It took another two years before she was totally broken. And at the end of five years, they once again wheeled her in to the medical facility. The doctor took note of her vacant eyes with a small 'hmm' and a scribble. He looked to his two grunts and nodded toward a room she'd never been in to before. 

Looking over to a machine, she heard the electricity. A panic rolled over her mind and then rolled away. She would happily take a treatment that would rid her of her memories of happiness. Little did she know, the only memories she would lose would be the ones she held closest to her heart.

With a sigh, she let them move her to the new table and place a bit in her mouth, strapping her down to the cold metal that decided to cause cold spots where her clothes had worn. With a small hiss, she looked to the doctor who was soon rubbing small sponges where her temples were. A small double beat of her heart caused her to twitch and the doctor stopped and looked down at her. 

“This will only hurt for a while... You'll be free.” He added with a small sadistic smile. “And then your mind will heal and you will be a whole new person.” Placing two small paddles to her temples, he looked to a grunt who was sitting at the machine and nodded to him. “Turn it to three and proceed.” He instructed. 

As the grunt turned the knob, she heard the electricity crackle and it's whining grow louder. Closing her eyes with a wince at the sound, she couldn't help but let a few tears fall. As a switch was flipped, she felt a huge jolt of electricity run through her. 

Crying out, she felt the bite fall from her mouth and it allowed her to scream. “James!” She roared, thrashing about as the electricity brought her to life. “James! Please!” She sobbed, all the while the electricity was still crackling. She heard the knob turn and the current started causing muscle spasms. Looking about with wide eyes, she remembered she was calling a name, but it was fading from her memory. She could see his face, and the way he looked at her. The voltage went up again and the face became blurry until it disappeared in a haze. She felt her tears falling faster.

\--------------------------------------

The door to the room flew open and there, in the doorway, was someone else she remembered. She wanted to say his name but the current was causing her to clench her teeth. The tears continued to roll up until he walked over and ripped the doctor from her. 

The current stopped and she was able to breath for a moment, looking up at him all the while. “Victor.” She coughed, her mind racing over the memories of him. It seemed like those and her younger days were all she could remember. 

Removing the straps, he looked her over, his eyes hanging on her newer pixels. Slowly, he helped her stand and she threw her arms around him. It was the first time in so many years that she had done that and it felt like home for a moment. Looking down at her small frame against him, he put his arms around her gently. Looking at the doctor and the grunts, he let out a low growl and watched as one grunt took off. 

“I heard you scream...” He muttered, moving her hair from her face. It had grown so much since the last time he'd seen her. “You look like shit...” He added, before walking her out of the room and down to a kitchen that was nearby. 

Sitting her down at a table, his eyes lingered on her as he walked to a fridge and grabbed someone's lunch, not really caring whose it was. “Here.” His voice was far off to her, there was still such a tense feeling left from the shock. Watching her look down at the food, he was surprised at just how she quickly garbled it up and then stopped half way through her small meal.

“Why...?” She asked, looking up at him. He felt the familiar pang in his heart and let out a rough sigh. He didn't know just what to say to her. Shaking his head, he wanted so badly to explain everything, but when his mind ran back to the scream he had heard... 

It wasn't his name she had called. She wanted James to rescue her once again, and he was no where to be found. Little did she know, that the day she had heard all the ruckus, the guards screaming and the thud of feet, it was Jimmy. He'd escaped with no memories of anything but Stryker and himself.

Looking her over, he sighed and shook his head. “I...” Just as he was going to bring himself to speak, he heard Stryker's voice from down the hall and let out a low growl. “If you want to run, you should...” He rumbled, only to see her let out a sigh and shake her head. 

God. What had they done to her? Usually she was such a fighter, so tough and strong willed. And now. She was a broken and faded little creature. Sure, he was upset with her for choosing Jimmy, but that was no reason to wish this upon her. In all reality he'd only wanted her back.

“Victor.” Stryker muttered as he walked in the room. “Oh, I see you've decided to grab a bite for Noelle...” He looked over at the once beautiful Agent Liger. “Looks like she could use a bit of rest...” He added, nodding to a grunt who began to walk toward her only to stop as Victor stood between them.

“She needs to be released.” He growled loud, his claws appearing from his finger tips. He felt Noelle's eyes upon him and glared down the grunt who backed away. “You said it was temporary.” He added, his muscles twitching as he began to wind up. He'd said nothing would hurt her that she couldn't handle. But to scream for Jimmy like that... They'd hurt her, bad. Looking back at her, he watched her colours flush orange and blue. He knew she was confused, he didn't need her to show him that. But the blue...

“And she will be once she's healthy. I mean, for God's sake Victor. Look at her and ask her if she remembers. Go ahead.” Stryker smirked and leaned against the doorway, Zero standing just outside with another grunt who was calling for back up. When Victor refused, Stryker looked around his huge form and smiled politely at Noelle. “Do you remember James?” He asked. 

Looking from Victor to Stryker, her brow furrowed. Trying to think back to Africa, there was another person, but she couldn't find the face nor the name. Shaking her head slowly, she looked to Victor who cocked his head and frowned. She wanted there to be a face for that name, but there was nothing there anymore. Just Victor. All the memories she could even slightly recall were of him.

Looking back to Stryker, he let out a low rumble. “She eats, she sleeps, she leaves.” He added, only to look back at Noelle with a small hint of sadness about him. “You don't belong here anymore...” He added, before turning and walking from the room with his hands clenched in fists.

-

As much as she wanted to run to him and beg him not to leave her, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was tired, sore, and he had lead them to her in the first place. He couldn't be trusted anymore. Victor was a love that should never be relived. He was nothing but trouble for her. And still working for Stryker? That alone said volumes about him. He was nothing but a hound.

Standing slowly, she walked past Stryker to a grunt who allowed her to walk without bondage to her old cell that she couldn't wait to be free from. As he opened the door, she walked in and the door shut behind her without any help. Hearing the guard gasp, she looked back and tilted her head. Shaking his own, he took a step back as Stryker walked before her cell. Without an emotion on his face, he looked her over.

“You'll be free when we're done with you. Call for Victor and I'll have him killed.” He stated, only to turn and walk toward a lighter end of the tunnel. She could see a few lit cells surrounded by glass. As his words resonated in her head, she let a small tear run down her cheek before disappearing in to the darkness. All her fight was gone. She was nothing but a scared, caged animal.

Over time, she became more and more dangerous during her doctors appointments. She was prone to more outburst, and seemingly without a reason, another mutation had appeared. Her hand could shift to claws, each finger becoming a deadly weapon.

They tried to keep her tranqued, but her regeneration had become too strong. So to keep her appeased, they would have to shock and bind her. They did as many experiments as they felt they could, repeating the ones from her first days which didn't seem to phase her at all anymore.

As she sat in her cell one day, a small and slender girl was brought down the hall and into a lighted box. After the lock clicked and the guard walked away, she heard the girl muttering to herself. Tilting her head, she listened to the ramblings and then couldn't help but smile and light up in a bright orange when the beautiful little creature looked down at her.

She watched her tilt her own head, her long black hair blanketing her shoulder so gracefully. Moving to the corner of her small little cell, she put a hand to the glass before smiling slightly. She was unsure and it was obvious to herself, but maybe, just maybe, she could be a friend in the hell they had locked her away in. Waving a little at the creature, she felt a surge of hope as the girl waved back.

“Hi...” The small illuminated girl whispered. It was loud enough for only herself to hear. “What...where am I..?” Oh the poor creature, she thought. She had no idea... “What's your name...?” Her voice had grown a little louder in confidence and she was looking her over, apparently amazed at just how colourful her new friend was. She eagerly awaited a response and sat down in the floor.

“You're in the catacombs...” She replied, moving as close as she could to the girl. “And...I don't remember my name...” Her eyes lowered and as she looked down at her hands that glowed a brighter orange. “Do you have a name...?” She asked, looking up at the girl who was now mesmerized by the oranges that swirled over her. Maybe this new creature would be her kindred soul in the hellish abyss they were both now trapped in. Someone else to talk about life's beauty among the ugliness.

“They were calling me X-23...” She muttered, pushing her hair from her face to reveal such beautiful and flawless porcelain skin. Her eyes were a deep brown and her hair was raven black and so well kept. Looking around her illuminated room, the girls eyes fell upon a brush and she reached for it, pulling it through her locks as if it were a coping mechanism. “Even though you don't have a name... It's nice to meet you...” She added, smiling down gently at the woman in the unlit darkness.

Eventually, they would give her the name X-31. She would receive no better treatment despite having her number. Instead she was poked and prodded every now and then and starved for long periods of time. Her and 23 would grow as close as sisters. 

23 was allowed to leave her cell every now and then and took her free time walking down to 31's cell. She would sit on the rocky ground and put her hands through the bars, brushing out 31's long mane. It was the only interaction they allowed.

They kept her there for over fifteen more years.

\----------------------------------------

After falling asleep one night in her despair, her mind had begun to race over the memories of her life. Her brain would usually let her have good dreams every now and then, but with another bad feeling building within her that she couldn't explain to 23, she had been having more and more nightmares. They would wake her screaming most of the time, but this time it was different.

A memory flashed trough her mind as quick as a lightning bolt. It possessed her, causing her eyes to snap open and swirl with colours as she sat. As her mind raced, and illusion played out before her. A memory of being a child, surrounded by sakura trees, watching the petals twirl about her as thy fell to the Earth.

It was a gorgeous and graceful scene, so beautiful to the senses, that is, until the petals slowly began to melt into blood as they fell, dripping and leaving a stick scarlet mess as they did. Eventually, they all landed and a huge pool of blood had surrounded her.

Looking down into the pool of red, she caught a glimpse of herself. She wasn't much like she had remembered before. Her long raven locks were solid, and her eyes were a beautiful and normal green. Her hair was short, up in a bun atop her head. 

She must've only been five or six. She was a little chunky, but it was to be expected of a child. Back then she showed more of her Japanese heritage, not so much American as she did now... And then things began to replay from the beginning of her miserable life, although it hadn't always been so bad...

-

Pink blossoms on the branches of the sakura trees were in full blossom and the sweet scent of cherries filled the air. Her hand was gripped tight by her mother's own soft and delicate one, making sure that she wouldn't wander off and get lost among the vendors and crowds that bustled about them. 

Sounds of spring filled the air, the streets were alive with the smell of street food and there were buskers on every corner trying to make a living. It was beautiful. What stood out to her little self most, though, were the beautiful women who walked around on such high shoes, shuffling confidently in the confinements of such tight kimonos. Geisha, her mother had told her they were, the artists of the festivals.

As she looked about, she noted that each Geisha was different. Though they all sported the ghostly while face and the ruby red lips, each wore a different hairstyle and a different kimono. They proudl represented their okiya, their homes.

They were living dolls that held arms with the high class men of their society, laughing and living the good life. But her mother was more beautiful than all of them combined to her. With her long raven locks and her eyes as blue as the sea, she had no need for the white make up nor the red lip stain. She was a goddess in her daughter's eyes without all that.

Pulling on her mother's hand gently, she managed to drag her over to a shaved ice vendor and pointed enthusiastically at the red stained cone. Her mother couldn't help but cover her lips to giggle at her little Chisana. It took so little to make her daughter happy and that was something to be thankful for. They didn't have a lot. 

Although her mother had married an American soldier, their life was never sunshine and rainbows as they let on. Her father was a drunk and was never home. He was worthless when it came to providing for them, drinking all his paychecks away without a second though. An alcoholic gaijin in her eyes. Meanwhile, her endearing mother would teach Japanese and Kanji to the Americans at the base, scraping all she could together so that Chisana would have a life.

As she took a bite of the ice, she let out a small little happy noise and looked up at her mother to show her her now red stained lips only to pause as she saw her staring off into another part of the square. Her eyes followed her mother's line of sight and there, at the end of an alleyway, was her father, his face stuffed in the neck of some yopparai Geisha. 

It was disgusting. She felt her mother's hand tighten, and as she looked back she saw the tears steaming down her mother's beautiful face. Without a word, she pulled her with her in the opposite direction, winding their way back to their uchi.

However badly she wanted to talk to her mother and tell her she loved her, she knew better. When things like this arose, her mother needed her space to calm. It wasn't the first time she'd seen her father with another woman. Every time it got to her mother more and more, slowly eating away at her beautiful soul. Little did the small Chisana know, her mother would confront her father when he returned home. She was tired of the games and the lies. 

“Sore wa shushin-ji no Chisana ichidesu... Appu arau ikimaru...” Her mother cooed, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead before nudging her off toward the wash room. Once little Chi was all cleaned up and in her pajamas, she peered around the corner and into the kitchen. What she saw shocked her. Her mother, who usually refused the drink, was taking a drink of sake. That's when she realized just how much her father had destroyed such a beautiful woman...

“Oyasumi haha...” Chisana called from around the corner, only to let out a soft smile as her mother attempted to hide the sake bottle from her child. “Shinpaishinaidekudasai... Aishiteru...” Chisana whispered and after her mother had whispered it back, she walked off toward her bedroom, sliding her door shut before laying down on her flowered mat in the floor. She'd been asleep for a while, and while her dreams were filled with the thoughts of the sakura trees and the women in brightly coloured kimonos, the beautiful peace was soon shattered by a piercing scream.

Sitting straight up like a bolt from her mat, she looked around wildly, only to hear a thud from what sounded like the kitchen. Getting up, she slowly and quietly slid her door open. With quick and light little steps, she tiptoed through the house, peeking around every corner as she did, navigating her house much like a little ninja. Once she came to the corner that lead to the kitchen, she couldn't believe the sight before her. There, in the floor, was her dearest haha-san, laying in the floor with her hair strewn about, not moving.

Running over to her mother, she skidding on her knees as she fell next to her figure, gripping at her mother's clothing and shaking her gently. Maybe the drink had caused her to fall asleep. 

“Haha wa me o samashimasu...” She whispered, only to stop for a moment as she her eyes caught sight of a puddle of red oozing out from under her mother's figure. Chi put her hand in it before holding it up to look at it, her mind racing over what it was and where it's source could be. 

“Haha wa me o samashimasu!” She cried out, shaking her mother vigorously. Deep inside her heart, she knew her mother was never going to wake up again.

Hearing footsteps, and heavy ones at that, she immediately knew they were her father's. As she felt her mother's hair fall through her little fingers one last time, she turned and stood, her face covered in tears as her eyes fell upon her drunken father. He was standing in the door way, a bottle of sake in one hand and the other limp at his side. Looking around the room, she noticed her grandfather's katana laying next to her mother's body, blood smeared on the blade.

“I'm so sorry Chisana...” Her father sobbed his slurred words as he fell to his knees, looking down at the floor as tears ran down his cheeks as well. He coudn't explain to his daughter what had happened, nor could he bring her other back from the dead. 

Hearing the sound of the katana blade scraping against the wood floor, he looked up to watch her struggle to lift it, letting out a sigh as she dropped it. He couldn't believe she was going to attack him, not his little Chi. Just when he thought she was going to come running to him, he heard a low growl and looked up to see her tiny hand clutch in to fists.

Looking down at her mother and then once more to her father, she felt a strange new sensation. Looking at her hands, she saw something happening. A scarlet colour had begun to creep over her fingers, stopping just below her elbow. Not only did it crawl up her arms, but it crawled up to her knees and halfway up her hair as well. 

The scarlet had also appeared just below her eyes, lighting up her green orbs which were now swirling red as well. She was illuminated in the darkened room and her father could only look upon her with fear in his eyes, the sake bottle falling from his hand and shattering on the floor.

Facing him, she watched as he began to stand as best he could, only to stumble backwards in a drunken stupor. She felt her whole body tense and she heard him trying to apologize, but it was all muffled to her ears as a wild rage as she had never known flew over her. She'd never felt such an intense emotion in all her life. 

And as her eyes blackened, the rage she felt inside of her burst forth and she took off on all fours toward her father, launching against his body, her impact slamming him through the wall behind him. She could see that he was screaming, but it was faint compared to the sound of her pounding heart. Without knowing it, her eye teeth and bicuspids had grown considerably, which made tearing in to her father's neck easy as he tried to push her from him.

Once he had stopped moving, she sat atop his corpse, staring down at her mother as she chewed a piece of flesh she'd pulled from her father's body. She didn't know how, but she'd ended up curled up under one of her mother's arms, hiding against her graceful figure under her hair. For a full day she lay there, her mind blank. She did nothing but lay there with a piece of flesh in her mouth and her fingers tangled in her mother's hair.

The next evening, when her father had failed to show up for work, they'd sent someone to check in on him, unaware of the surprise that awaited. They opened the front door after knocking numerous times and failing to get a response. 

She heard someone scream and before she knew it, the Koban had swarmed the house, only to pull her from her dear, dead mother. She was screaming and flailing as they removed her from the house, but after five of them had gotten a good grip on her, she gave up and went limp while she continued to wail.

\----------------------------------

Just as quick as it had come, it was gone. The scarlet lingered about her, only to turn to blue as another memory sent her chest heaving. It was though she'd been running in the winter snow. Her chest hurt again and her muscles were sore, but it was nothing compared to the shock of the next sound to ring through her head. It was as if her mind was out to further ruin her.

The sound of the twig snapping in the distance, the sight of his shadow that followed, playing over her in the cold evening light... She knew it was him. He smell had flooded her senses and stopped her in mid step before she could even think about fleeing. Maybe he had come to protect her from them...or maybe he was there to end her for leaving him. 

Either way was better than captivity, which is usually how life ended when Stryker sent his faithful hound. As she turned to face him, somewhere off in the distance she heard a click and as her mind had processed Victor, a loud shot rang out in the quiet. It was soon followed by a sharp pain in the right side of her chest. A bullet, right through her lung...

With her lung collapsing, she fell to the ground, falling into the fresh snow and letting out a shiver as the cold enveloped her in its icy grasp. Her blood had began to soak the ground and the smell of copper filled the air as she began to gasp for air. 

Seeing him move closer, she had reached for him, only to let her hand fall as he moved away, allowing Zero to roll her over and plant his knee square in her back. As her arms were forcefully pulled behind her and restraints placed about her, she took another deep breath, trying to breath as her lung attempted to heal, and that's when his smell became that of betrayal.

Hearing a familiar voice as her vision blurred, she heard it congratulating Victor on a successful hunt and promising him something in return. She felt tears burning down her cheeks only to let out a small sob before letting out a scream of pain as she was hoisted from the ground. That's when it all disappeared...


	3. Reminiscing and Ruining

Her eyes dilated and her chest heaved as her dreams left her for reality. Watching the illusion slowly dissolve, her colours remained bright and shining in the darkness, leaving her stained. Looking down at her hands, she saw the red had remained implanted in every pixel of her skin. 

The look her father had once given her was something she'd seen on many faces since, just because of her abilities. Moving her fingers through her hair, she looked at the scarlet and just how high it managed to run this time. More than halfway before blending in with her raven locks which had grown well past her hips in her years of containment.

Sighing, she looked at her reflection in a small piece of a mirror she'd managed to find and saw her two red glowing orbs staring back at her. As her thoughts swirled inside her, she realized she'd never gotten used to her own colours. They betrayed her every emotion, her every secret to the world around her. 

For her, there was no sense of privacy left in the world, minus in her own head, but even that was becoming untrustworthy... That's when she pulled her torn garment away from her chest and looked down, only to see the scar of the bullet wound just above her breast. A scar she would never let heal to remind her of just how painful the world really was.

The thoughts caused her to throw the piece of mirror angrily onto the meager bed of hay, wanting to scream at the top of her lungs but, knowing the grunts would be released, she resisted. As the memories continued to plague her, burning trails in her mind, she felt her colours face and ultimately fade to black, allowing her to disappear completely in the blackness. It seemed to be her favourite shade now, helping her hide from passing grunts, avoiding the pokes and prods of their electric sticks. She was a shadow in her own hell-hole.

Looking down the hall, she saw her favourite beautiful creature watching her, or at least trying now that she had disappeared. It was obvious that she had seen thee entire colourful show from her little illuminated box. The creature smiled, but before she could say anything in response, the both heard a loud, pained scream from further down the hall and clamped their hands down over their ears, attempting to block out the sounds that mocked their imprisonment. 

Once the sound had stopped, she let her hands fall and moved from her straw bed over to the bars nearest the girl. They were sisters in captivity, and they'd grown ever closer since the beautiful creature had come to be. They'd practically grown up together, looking like sisters since they were so similar to one another.

Waving gently, the creature down the hall sat in her glass box of light, watching her sister with such beautiful eyes, her hair cascading over her shoulder like a stream over a boulder. She made it so easy to paint such beautiful pictures in her mind. 

Her beauty often helped her to forget just who had put her here and how he'd just walked away from her, leaving her to her worst enemy. The thought of him cause her to shake her head vigorously and clamp her hands over her head again, letting out a groan as she did. A red had attempted to wash over her, but was beaten by a deep blue.

“How long has it been...23?” Her voice cracked and rasped as she looked down at her counterpart. It was raw from years of misuse. She watched 23 pull a piece of hair from her face and delicately tuck it behind an ear, making more of her porcelain skin visible. 

23 was such a beauty, even after all these years. Much like herself and her mother, whom she suddenly remembered, the blue deepening further as the thought crossed her mind. She watched 23's eyes soften with concern as she got up from her bed and sat in the corner nearest to her sister, leaning against the glass that would never break.

“I's your birthday again, 31.” 23 responded, smiling as she watched 31's eyes flash purple, but it was a short lived bit of happiness as her colours faded to blue again. 23 watched 31's face fall, her body seeming to give out as she slumped against the wall. She was almost laying in the floor at that point. 

23 wanted so desperately to give her sister a hug or some sort of comfort, but the most she could do from so far away was speak gently. “Happy birthday 31...” She whispered, in an attempt to show her friend a genuine smile, but failing when she heard 31 let out a short snort. She watched her beautiful sister turn away and heard her let out a soft sigh.

Shaking her head, 31 gritted her teeth before letting out a sigh of utter frustration. “It's never going to be a happy birthday as long as we're in here 23... No matter how many times your beautiful lips whisper it, as pretty and silken as you make it sound... It's never going to be a happy birthday. Not when so many have escaped, leaving us behind to rot in this hell. Not when all the others have left us for dead.” 31's voice seemed so monotone as her thoughts continued to spill from her lips, the anger growing within her with each word. 

She saw 23 watching her in shock which led her to figure that only her eyes were visible, which seemed to happen frequently just before the rage would explode. Black soon overtook the red and 31 disappeared completely once more. Black would always consume her when her mind began to go dark. “No happiness is to be found here, 23. Only anger, misery, andd pain will ever resonate from these walls... There is no light here, no light but you...” 31's rumble caused chills to run up 23's spine.

“31, really... It's not so bad. At least I have you...” 23 whispered, before letting her voice grow a bit louder. “It's really too lovely a day for such sadness. There's been hardly any screams today...” She looked down the tunnel at her friend with concern, attempting once more to get her to cheer up or at least smirk. She even made a face at her, but it was all for naught. 23's words were sugar coated and beautiful, and her endearment for 31 was beautiful in a world so devoid of hope. But those were words that came from one of Stryker's treasured pets. 

23 wasn't someone's prisoner as she was, she was someone's prized joy, It was evident by how they treated her. The times they let her out and let her interact with her... Even though she was escorted always, it was still some put of freedom that 31 would never have. 

Compared to 31, 23 was free. She wasn't anything like 31. They would never take her for tests, they would never leave her forgotten... She would never be so misunderstood nor mistreated... No... She would never be anything like the animal 31 had become. And no one would ever understand the pain or scars that 31's soul would bare the rest of her life.

“I'll be happy the day I get the fuck out of here...” 31 growled, her teeth growing in her anger, only to disappear as she calmed herself. There would be a time and place for anger, but it wasn't then. She returned to her corner, sitting down on the bed of hay, , her only comfort in such a place of woe, besides 23's beauty and her silken voice, of course. 

From the shadows, her red orbs appeared once more, burning bright and making it obvious to her sister the thoughts that ran through her head were anything but peaceful, that is, until her memories decided to replay a kinder thought. Without knowing it her colours turned the same beautiful pink of a cherry blossom. Her pixels mimicked them falling, her whole body becoming a cascade of blossoms.

23 saw the change of heart and the beauty that danced over her friend. It was the best opportunity there was to break 31 from the rage and sorrow that threatened to consume her. Sitting up eagerly, 23 stared at the beauty of her chameleon-esque sister. 

“You look so happy now...” She whispered, only to let out a small giggle as 31 realized just what colour she had become. 31 would have blushed if her pixels were as minuscule as they had been when she was little. Hearing 31 let out a small sigh, she watched the pink fade a bit.

“I was happy... once, long ago...” 31 muttered, staring out in to the nothingness only to find her eyes wandering over to the beautiful 23, watching her hair fall gracefully over her shoulder again as she tilted her head to the side. Her pink seemed to shimmer as it changed to a purple hue, and then, it faded all together, only remaining in her eyes as the memories lingered. 

“I have so many memories that play through my mind... It's like a movie that never ends, only merges with other films. Even when I sleep, I can still see them all like it was yesterday. I can't dream of my future though...only the past. I've been here for so long that not even my mind thinks I'm going to survive or escape...”

Looking out at 31, the glowing purple orbs disappeared as 31 closed her eyes for a moment, taking a pause to try and pin point just one scene, but it was pointless. They all ran together most of the time. 23 inched closer to her corner, if it was at all possible to get closer, and smiled down at 31 and her memories. 

The way she spoke of them... It was as though she was painting with only the most beautiful pigments. It was so beautiful. And 23 loved them, but they were only dreams, never memories. At least that's what 23 had come to know from being around others who had been captured.

After so many moths, the memories were only the delusions of a weary mind that had been through too much, nothing but bits of madness that confused and clouded their minds and consciousness. She'd even heard rumor of the doctors implanting false memories to make those captured more compliant. 

But she would never dare tell 31 that her memories were mere dreams. Others had tried and either been threatened or maimed. 31 wasn't all animal, but to a certain degree she could be ruthless. Even with how much humanity she had managed to hold on to for over twenty years... More humanity than any other mutant she'd ever met.

“There was a time, so very long ago...” Her eyes began to dance with bright purples and oranges, glowing brighter than ever before in the darkness as she spoke her words ever so slowly, reliving the memories as they came to her. “A time when there were sakura blossom festivals... It was so new...” She could see the confusion on 23's face and smirked ever so slightly.

“In America they're known as cherry trees. But the trees weren't the only beautiful things at those festivals... Lush petals were always rivaled by the beautiful Geisha with the white faces and red lips. Not to mention their beautifully crafted kimonos...” 31's colours flashed green with envy before returning to a calm purple.

“They do sound beautiful, 31. Both the tree and the women...” 23 whispered, gazing off in to an invisible world of pink trees and living dolls. A smile played across her lips as she began to think about just what life could have been like. “Weren't you in the East for a while...?” Her question was innocent enough, but 31 disappeared into the darkness as her eyes blackened. 23 wanted so desperately to apologize, but before she could even find the right words, 31 let out a low, gutteral growl which caused her to jump and shrink back from her glass.

“I was only in the east for the first few years of my life... I was sent to the States after my father murdered my mother and the Koban found me in a puddle of blood...” She felt the red rush over her features, illuminating her cell with such brilliance. 

“Their blood was fresh on me... Both Mother and Father's.... And apparently they found me with a piece of father's flash hanging from my mouth. They didn't bother to wonder why, they called it a psychotic break and sent me away. I remember trying to hold my grandfather's katana, but it was too heavy... And then everything went black.” She shook her head, feeling the red slowly leak down her arms and fingertips, being replaced with black as she disappeared.

“Then there was Vietnam...more time in the East...” 31 had begun to mutter, which forced 23 back to her walls so she could try to understand the ravings. “...but that was so long ago...” Her mutterings turned in to a rumble as 23 tilted her head, her hair falling over her shoulder again. 31 couldn't help but smile as such beauty. But the smile quickly fell ash she began to remember the fighting in Vietnam. “Murder, rape...torture... There were no good guys in that war. Charlie and the States were both enemies of the people, killing civilians shamelessly if they happened to be in the way... No one was worried about who died.” Shaking her head, she felt the red return to her eyes in full force, causing 23 to shrink back once more.

31 could be absolutely terrifying when she was that upset. There were times when 23 honestly expected 31 to explode from just how bright her colours could get. “It was the same in Africa...” 31 growled low, looking through the bars of her cage, feeling the rage in her chest threaten to burst forth. “There was no distinction between innocent and guilty. Just an order to kill for answers and a team of mercenaries ready to jump when their general said jump...” 

Her hands grew brighter and even more scarlet at the memories of the violence and rage. Suddenly, her voice grew quiet, and she all but disappeared. “I enjoyed every mission. I enjoyed killing those people... Their screams of agony, their deaths... And him... Until he grew out of control and someone convinced me to walk away. From the insanity...” 31 whispered as she flashed a shade of pink before flaring red again, clenching her fists in rage.

23 knew not to ask about “him”. She knew full well just who “him” was and it wasn't some romance that 31 had even spoken about fondly, although the way she looked when she spoke about it... But she had confided in 23 that he had captured her ad thrown her to her worst enemies, leaving her to be tortured and experimented on. She wished she could help 31 forget him, but there was no way for her to help with those memories. 

31 would never forgive him for anything he'd done. It always left 23 in such dismay that he'd ruined such a beautiful life. “I'm sorry I brought it up, 31... Please forgive me. I just want to see you happy.” She spoke softly as 31 turned to listen. “Wasn't there a time in the States? In the years between Japan and Vietnam...? You always mention it so fleetingly, and make it sound so beautiful, but you've never told me... So.. please?” 23's eyes softened and her fear turned to calm as 31 shed her red for a beautiful purple. Her encouragement for happier memories had worked...this time.

“After Japan, I was put in to what we now know as foster care and I was there for so many long years. I even ran away multiple times by the time I as what most people know as fourteen. Then I was moved from foster home to foster home, which seemed more like a daycare than a real home. Eventually I landed in a kind of group home, where there were so many smaller children. I had to have been the oldest they'd ever had... No one wants kids who are older and behaved as I did...” Looking out of her cage, she could see that 23 was already enchanted with this new story and it pleased her quite a bit, her purple brightening. 

“I was born to a Japanese woman by an American soldier. I'd never moved, never been without my mother until the night he killed her. Once she was gone it was as if my world just kept unraveling.” 31 noted, looking to 23 who nodded in understanding. 

“I was a rebel child to begin with and though I look more American now, when I was younger I looked more Japanese. By fifteen my age had begun to slow down significantly. After a few years of fifteen, rebellion had grown tiresome and boring. So I stopped fighting the system and figured I would stay my final year of foster care where I was. I'd be free to be on my own with nothing to my name but what I had learned in the years I'd been in the streets...”

Taking a moment to pause and let the memories calm, 31 looked down to the closest end of the catacomb as if it were the front door of that dreadful house. That quaint little suburban home which she'd run away from so many times only to be brought back time and time again by the police. The white picket fence, the red brick exterior, the shutters... It was so picturesque, and yet... 

“No one liked me when they chose me in the years before. I was too young and I didn't know how to control my colours at all. They all wanted an Asian child with a high IQ, but no one wanted a child that changed colours when she got angry or upset, so I'd always end up right back in that house, waiting for the day I would be done with the system. The smaller children would call me a chameleon and run from me if I approached them at all...and that was the nicest of the names they called me...” 31's voice had gotten so small at the mention of such cruelty. That's when 23 broke the silence.

“I like you being a chameleon!” 23 blurted, before putting a hand over her mouth, her eyes a bit wide at the realization of just how loud she had been and how rude it was to interrupt someone in such a way, especially when they were being so passionate. She sheepishly moved her hand and smiled at her sister who just smiled back. “I'm sorry, 31, do go on...” She nodded and ushered, moving to rest her back against the glass and relax, eager to hear more of the story.

Chuckling lightly, 31 looked down at her hands and then back to the doorway, losing herself as the memory grew stronger. “One day, the woman whom all the children spoke about came to the house. Surprisingly, she ignored all the smaller children, walking right past them. They all liked her and tried to get her attention, but instead, she walked right up to this nerdy little shit.” Her face contorted into a grin as she continued, “At first I thought she had heard about my IQ, that being the thing most of the parents were keen on. I remember so clearly just sitting there in the nook, my glasses low on my nose, reading my book I had lifted from a store down the street... I think it was by H.P. Lovecraft. Such wondrous worlds and fantastical beasts...and so dark.” 31 murmured, sighing out at the memories of some of the passages. Anything to disappear from the world around her.

“You're off subject, 31.” 23 pointed out, pursing her lips before smiling and letting out a giggle as 31 let out a wholehearted laugh, one she had never heard before, which put a huge smile on 23's face. “Although his work does sound very interesting...” She mused, only to look at 31 who smiled again.

“Thank you, 23... The lady, who was so gorgeous with her bright green eyes, long black hair, and pale skin walked right up to me and decided I was her victim. She chose a child, or rather teenager, that was wanted by no one. A teenager who wanted nothing to do with society. All I wanted were my glasses, my books, and to disappear from the world around me.” 32 muttered, wishing she'd had a few to read in the least few years to take the edge off the madness. She went to push up her glasses, but they weren't there and this saddened her a bit, causing blue to dance with her purple. Shaking her head, she let the blue disappear from her and remained a bright violet.

“Me being the snarky little child I was, asked her rudely what she wanted, only to bow up when she began to speak. I remember looking up at her only to see just how beautiful she truly was. My glasses faltered and my book fell to the floor with a thud. She told me that she was looking for someone just like me. Someone different.” 

As a hand moved absentmindedly through her hair, it changed colour as her fingers passed through it, only to face back to black. “Me being the little brat I was, quipped back that she always showed up but never took anyone home. I asked her why I should give a shit that she wanted me.” 31 stopped as she heard 23 giggling and shook her head a bit with a smile. “Then she asked my name...”

“What is your name, 31?” 23 had asked the question so long ago and 31 had no answer for her. But she once again asked what no one had ever bothered to in the tunnels. Down there there was no privilege of a name, only a number and a reason for them to poke and prod. “I mean, everyone else had a name before they had a number... So...surely you did too.”

And with this question 31 found herself lost in all her memories. “31.” She responded in such a flat and matter-of-fact tone that stopped 23 and caused her smile to fade. Surely she hadn't been there so long that she'd forgotten her own name. “Chisana...no... I think someone once called me...Noelle.” Her eye went orange in confusion before she looked up at 23, as if trying to confirm that it had, indeed, been Noelle.

“I like Noelle. It fits you. But so does Chisana...” 23 responded, nodding and smiling before resting her head against the wall of her illuminated box with a small sigh, waiting to hear the rest of the story. It was so interesting so far, and she could tell it was far from over. “What happened with thee pretty lady?” She asked, looking back at 31 out from under her hair.

“She didn't mind my sass. I think she even found my insolence to be entertaining and some what of a relief. I was special, is what she told me. That I could do things that others couldn't. That I deserved a place to fit in. And then as she smiled at me ever so sweetly, her eyes flashed a bright golden yellow, which mine promptly mocked. My mockery seemed to please her quite a bit. Then she said she was special too... I've never forgotten that colour..” 31 touched just below her eye as only the one flashed the same colour. 

“But it was only for a second. I was amazed at just how much control she had over her powers. It was... It scared me at first, being sheltered from other mutants for so long, but she was also beyond intriguing. There was something about her. After she looked around the room we were in, she stood up straight and smiled before telling me there wasn't anyone like her. That's when her entire body went blue, even where her clothes had sat. Again, only for a second...” 31 flashed blue for a moment as well.

“My colours mocked hers again and that's when she offered to take me away from that house, away from the quaint little neighborhood that had been like a prison to me for so many years. She said that no matter what they said, I was beautiful. My colours made me special and everyone who laughed at me or called me names was my enemy. That everyone who ever made fun of me would pay. I liked that idea...” 31 muttered, looking down at her hands as they flashed blue. “So I went with her. She told me that her name was Raven, and then, once we had arrived home, she introduced me to a woman named Destiny. After making pleasantries, Raven dropped the act.”

23 let out a small, shocked gasp, and 31 noted that she was on the edge of her bed, her head propped up on her hands as she was listening. Seeing her so in tune and listening so intently made 31 smile wide. It was nice to have someone care the way that 23 did. “Who was she really...?” 23 questioned, tilting her in her hands.

“She was a mutant, about my age I think. Although she looked much older. She had regenerative powers too, like me. Keeps us young a while longer... She said that we were “kindred spirits” and that together we could be a great team. And we were, for a while... She mentored me, took care of me, and taught me things I would have never learned on my own.” 31 began to trail off, the purple starting to fade. 

“But she left long before Victor betrayed me... And for all I know she's never tried to find me. I'm here...and she's not.” After a pause, 31 felt her heart drop as she turned toward her bed and lay down in the hay, letting out a long, tired sigh. The last thing she heard that night was 23's beautiful silken voice in the darkness.

“Happy birthday, 31...” She whispered, before turning over in her bed, laying down for the night as her room dimmed.

\-------------------------------

He stood still, a giant stone statue silently listening to every word she'd spoken, watching her colours changed so effortlessly in the shadows. Staring at the middle monitor in the control room, he couldn't help but marvel and just how beautiful she still was. 

So captivating and endearing. The way she spoke, her colours never stopping, like a beautiful moving painting. But he couldn't see her clearly enough on the dim screen to see just how weathered and malnourished she really was. Just how terrible the years had been to her. Those years that he had thought her a free mutant. 

Her stories, the way she spoke of him. The pain of his betrayal that had left her stained red.

Victor let out a long and haggard sigh, his eyes falling to the ground as he heard her let out a whimper before disappearing into the dark. The day that they'd taken her, he'd lost his sanity. There were few like her, but she was not to b compared to others. She was special. Like him, like Jimmy. They were the unsung heroes of several wars, and though she left...for Jimmy...

Shaking his head, he ran his claws gently over his scalp as another long sigh escaped, this one more irritated than the last. She wasn't supposed to still be in that cell. She was supposed to have been freed, what? More than fifteen years ago. And now, to find out that Stryker had some sort of plan for her... It was... Maddening, to say the least. A growl rose in his throat as the thought of that rat fink doctor bring near her again played in his head. Hadn't he done enough to her?

As the growl grew, he felt his claws grow, penetrating the skin of his hands, not wincing nor moving as the wave of pain rolled over him. Simply letting the claws grow as his rage grew. When his hands relaxed, he heard her let out another small whimper in her sleep. 

Noelle had been so strong an almost invincible before, and now, now she was so broken and wounded. And it was his fault, he'd done this to her. He wanted nothing more than to walk through those catacombs and set her free, but with an impending experiment, Stryker had Zero following him, watching his every move.

“You know, she'll be fine, if not better.” The shadow in the doorway spoke for the first time in what seemed like ages, crossing his arms against his chest as he watched Victor turn, a scowl across his features. “Stryker's got some big plans for that little freak...” He added, only to smirk as Victor began toward him, claws growing again as Zero spoke so harshly of such a treasure.

“Speak about her like that again and I'll make sure your aim is never on target again, Mercenary...” Victor growled, walking right past Zero only to let his hand land against the metal wall just behind the snarky agent's head, his eyes glaring at the reflection in the door. “In fact, David...” He growled louder. “Don't speak of her ever again. You'll regret it.” He added, and with that threat unleashed, the giant beast of a man was gone, down to his own room to sit in silence.

What no one knew, or could see, was that the day she'd been broken was the day he was broken as well. No hunts had been the same and the memories now burned his heart like a blade of white hot metal just turning around and around endlessly. There was no pleasure in life anymore. She was his reason, even after Jimmy had convinced her to leave...

Fucking Jimmy...

Sitting down on the edge of his bed, he reached over to a small tin box and opened it, pulling out an old Polaroid. It was of him, Jimmy, and another member of the war, a boy who'd they'd come to know as Liger; at least back then that's what they knew. 

Though he and Jimmy had been close since they were children, Liger had no trouble fitting in with them. He really was one of the guys, nothing to give away his secret, until one fateful wound would expose Liger for just who she really was. At that moment, though his eyes hungered for her, he saw her in a different light, albeit not the right light. He hadn't then learned to appreciate her for more than her body.

A man that had stood beside him through such fights, so strong, willful, and yet such a jokester. She was something different, her attitude , her strength, and her teeth. Not to mention her colours... In the picture they were all in their war gear, linked shoulder to shoulder with one another. Jimmy with his cigar, himself with his ever present fangs, and Liger with his smirk...

Reaching back over to the box, he pulled her old dog tags from it. He'd managed to steal them from Stryker just after she'd been caught, so long ago. His fingers ran over the words on the tags and his thoughts replayed the day he thought her dead. It was just after Jimmy convinced her to leave... Then to be sent on a mission to retrieve a treasured mutant from the northern Appalachians... 

He'd sent him on a hunt and he watched Zero settle in the snow a few yards away. Hearing the gun cock, he felt a bit of pride wash over him at the idea of such successful hunt, that is, until a familiar smell lit up his senses. It was her, Liger. He'd began toward her, a panic settling over him as he rushed to warn her, only meaning to alert her to the danger... But as he got closer, and she turned to him, a shot rang out. She'd stopped in her tracks after his smell filled her nose and once her eyes had set on him, it was over. She needed him in those moments and instead of helping her, he just backed away. He was her undoing. He remembered her gasps, her whispering about Jimmy and the sickening thud as she hit the snow. The smell of copper was still burned in to his memory.

Putting his hands up to his head, the tags still in them, he let his elbows rest on his knees.

He did this to her...

\-------------------------------

That night no dream bothered her, no nightmares or screams to break the silence, no shouting grunts blundering down the catacomb halls. No ruckus to to disturb such a peaceful sleep. None, that is, until 23's voice filled her ears, causing her to wince and let out a groan. But after a moment, she realized that it was the usual and pleasant 'Good morning.' she was whispering. In fact, she wasn't whispering at all, she was screaming as 31 had never heard her scream before. 

Sitting straight up on that bed of hay, she looked over to 23 who was flailing wildly, throwing herself against the glass with such force that it shook, but didn't not break. It never would. She was clawing at her walls, doing anything she could to stir 31 from her slumber. She was like a small creature trapped in a predators jaws just before the crunch, trying to desperately get away. She'd never seen her beautiful sister in such a state and it was more than alarming, it was terrifying. Then the screams became clear.

“31! Thank god you're awake! 31 listen to me! Get up and fight! Please! Do something! They're coming for you! I heard your number over the speakers! Get up!” 23 had tears pouring down her cheeks as she struggled so hard to get out of her box and over to her sister to help, her claws scratching at the walls in a furious panic. But just as 31's adrenaline kicked in, she saw 23 freeze and go silent, her eyes locked on something, or someone, down the hall.

31's eyes flushed red as she looked from her friend to the end of the hall where 23's widened eyes were glued, he own eyes spying three figures down the hall. Quickly, the rest of her pixels followed suit, flaring crimson like a bright flame in the cell. Everything felt as though it was in slow motion as she took her stance, waiting for one of them to saunter closer, up to her cell door of her cage. As if on cue, one of the grunts broke ahead of the other two figures and stopped just outside her cell. Eventually, the small rat like doctor in his long white coat with his spectacles sitting low on his nose appeared.

As the last grunt approached, she began to hear the voice of the doctor for what felt like the first time in centuries. She didn't miss it at all as it brought back the memories of the bullet being pried from her chest, the oxygen deprivation, the shock treatment... Holding his clipboard to his chest, just as someone would their prized possession, he smirked over his glasses at her. Tapping it against the bars of her cage, he couldn't help but let the smirk grow to a grin as she jumped, not at all detoured by her colours.

“Well well well... Good morning and happy birthday 31,” He began, peering over his glasses still, his eyes running over the livid creature in the cage, “it seems your time had finally come. It's taken us a while to make sure you'll survive... So let us see just what we can do with you... Or should I say to you...” His grin had gone sadistic just at it had with every experiment before, and his tone was sharp. 

She could only assume he was attempting to be a silver tongued rat fink. As she moved about, she saw him taking notes, recording her every move as she paced about, watching him and the grunts carefully as she did. “But first, for the sake of my safety and the safety of my men, I need to know if you intent to resist or come peacefully...” He was still grinning as he spoke and it was driving her insane, the rage building so much faster than usual. Why was he so fucking smug?

“Why the fuck would I not resist?!” She roared, her teeth turning in to fangs and growing as she did. He was bringing out the beast in her without even really trying. She felt her hands begin to contort and growled low. “Do you people not hear the blood curdling screams?! Are you deaf to them?!” Stepping back from the door of the cage, she knew what was coming next and began to blindly grab at anything she could to anchor herself. “Of course I intend to fucking resist.” She growled again, lowering her center of gravity closer to the ground as the doctor let out a wicked laugh.

He pulled his clipboard back to his chest and pushed up his glasses as he grinned again, sending a chill up 31's spine. He began laughing again, and soon it grew maniacal in nature. His grin disappeared as he began to speak again, the most threatening tone spilling from his lips as he did. “My dear girl, we cause the screams..” He stated with such an emotionless and detached tone that 31 didn't notice the cage door opening until a grunt had already entered it.

Before she knew it, the one grunt that had snuck up on her decided it would be the perfect time to reach out for her, and as he did, she ducked and moved to the side before landing a swift hell to the side of his face once he had landed on the floor. 

Looking down at him, she grinned as she watched the blood begin to trickle from the corner of his mouth. She'd most likely broken his jaw, and that was just fine by her. Wild animals, when caged and cornered, will fight to the death. She was no different in that aspect. She wouldn't be willfully taken to that place where the screams originated and no one returned from, especially not if the animal inside could help it.

Having let her guard down as she reveled in the idea that she had ruined a face, she hadn't realized that it would be the biggest mistake of her miserable existence. A giant hand reached through the doorway and grabbed a hold of her wrist, pulling her toward the grunt before her. Shoving her to the ground, he quickly planet a giant knee in her back and she heard a few bones crack as she let out a yell. 

Looking around as she tried to breath again, for anyone, she could only see 23. The beautiful creature, instead of trying to fight to escape her little lit box, had shrunk back in her box against the solid rock wall it was implanted in, curled up in a ball. Her hands were covering her ears as she sang to herself, rocking back and forth as she attempted to drown out the commotion around her. As they began to apply the binding to her, she let out a louder cry, this time calling for her sister to save her.

“23! 23 please!” She begged, her eyes locked on the small creature. “Please help me! Stop them! Do something, please! TWENTY-THREE!” She screamed, but it was no use, her cries fell on deaf ears and she was alone again in her weakest moment. As she realized her defeat, she was thrown on her back and they began to drag her through the catacombs, past the lit box cells, through the muck and mud that sent shivers through her body at the chill. 

Feeling the floor change texture, it had gone from a rocky and bumpy dirt floor to a smooth metal floor that was horribly cold to the touch. She continued to struggle and thrash about as much as she could, twisting and looking around her wildly as her surroundings further changed. Each section had before more and more advanced.

As the friction burn had begun, she felt her door slowly creeping ever closer, the bad feeling in her gut growing to the point of making herself sick. Peering about herself and they began to slow, she saw all sorts of machines. Suddenly, out of no where, she was jerked up from the floor to her feet and her tattered clothes were torn from her, leaving only old and worn underwear to hid was was left of her shame. 

After being stripped, they hoisted her up and dropped her on a metal table, a loud thud coming from her contact with it. She wanted to grasp at her chest as the wind was pushed from it again, but her arms were bound beneath her still. She had let out a yelp out of habit and she felt the bindings encompass her ankles, which meant she was then at the horrid doctor's mercy. The shock of the cold metal on her bare skin had begun to set in and she felt her world starting to finally fall apart the rest of the way.

“Well fought, 31.” The doctor muttered, appearing over her, looking over her almost fully naked form which caused her to growl out and thrash just a bit. He smiled mockingly at her and watched her from behind his glasses without fear, taking in his favourite specimen to toy with. “Now, it's time for you to take a long, well deserved rest. When you wake, you'll be better than new.” He added, his words tearing at her as she tried her hardest to squirm, but the straps only tightened as she moved. 

She watched him closely as he turned and picked up a syringe, walking back to her with a grin. She had no idea what was in it, but the thought of losing her sense of self again as causing her to lose her mind. Moving the needle slowly up and over her jugular, just as he was about to plunge the strange liquid in to her neck, a growl caused him to stop and look down at the creature in his grasp.

Looking up at what appeared to be x-ray boxes, she saw a reflection in the glass. She could see his face so clearly. Their eyes were locked and she felt her colours flare with red and black, swirling as she wondered if he would leave her here as well. Rage and hatred burned inside her, causing her to shine brighter than ever before. He was watching her with such apathy, like he couldn't care less that she was stuck to that table, being looked over and vulnerable. About to be injected who god knew what. Her growl became louder as she looked back to the doctor and locked eyes with him.

“I will kill every last one of you when I am free...” Her growl was low and her voice almost a whisper. “For everything you have done to me...” The growl had begun to grow throatier, her teeth growing as her rage had begun to settle as the thought of bloodshed rushed her mind. She was aflame with reds as she spoke, the colours dancing over her without so much as a pause. 

“I'll start with you... And then your grunts... And then your general. And I'll end, with you, VICTOR!” She roared about as loud as she could managed, but after being stuck in one place for so many years, her voice was cracking, raspy, and worn. Just as she thought he'd react, possibly show an emotion, maybe even flinch, he turned fro her and walked away. Simple as that. What sounded like an empty threat to her captors was a genuine promise from a caged animal full of so much rage. As her breath began to quicken, she looked back to the doctor with a twisted grin. “And I'll love every scream, every drop of blood....” She whispered, licking her fangs.

A bit taken aback, the doctor looked from his grunts back down to the animal in his trap and stared for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh at her threat. He smiled down at her in the most mocking manner he could, a sneer playing on his features. His next words came out with a hiss, and she believed them to be the last words she could ever hear. “Goodnight, 31...” His words were joined by a sharp pain in her neck and a feeling of the world falling away. She heard a slurred 'let's begin' just before everything went dark.

\-------------------------------

He had turned away from her again, walking away as fast as he could once he was out of her sight, unwilling to show her just how worried he really was, how distraught this idea had made him, only to hesitate for a moment before stopping to slam his fist against a wall. He could think of nothing else but her voice and how she'd looked. She wasn't like that the last time he'd seen her, she wasn't so damaged. 

Staring down at his hands, Victor let out a sigh only to look back into the experimentation room. He hear the machines start up and begin to pulsate, sending his mind racing. How could he have done this to her...? She'd trusted him with her life and he'd handed her over to her worst fear, possibly even her death. But she had left, once, just like Jimmy had...

They were going to ruin her in a way that he'd never expected them to. She was never to become this creature, this animal. Never to be erased and made in to some sadistic murder machine. Noelle wasn't supposed to be such a good tool for Stryker...or rather, such a toy.

“Fuck it.” He grunted, turning back and stomping back toward the room at an even faster pace, walking right up on the doctor, standing over him like an enormous, daunting shadow. When the doctor finally made eye contact, he jumped a bit in his spot and pushed his glasses up, trying not to show fear to the beast that towered over him in such a way. Looking down at Noelle, he features hardened in anger and he snapped his head back toward the doctor as he pointed at Noelle's exposed body, a low threat rumbling from his chest.

“If she dies...” His growl grew with ferocity at the idea, his finger moving from Noelle's body to the doctor's face. “You die.” He watched the doctor twitch in understanding and let out a grunt before turning from the small man. He couldn't stop this, but he could at least make sure they took good care of her. 

Seeing the doctor twitch again, he realized that his threat had been taken seriously and without another word, he turned from the meek mad and resumed his walk down the hall, walking toward Stryker's office at a mad pace. He'd been avoiding his general for a while, but now the rage was too much to bare. He had to confront the man that would ruin her.

Throwing the doors open, he looked directly at Stryker who was in the middle of a conversation with the ever loyal Agent Zero. Stryker motioned or Zero to take his leave and as he left, Victor rushed past him, wanting so badly to put his hand to the throat of his general. His growl was low and long as she stared Stryker down, his claws growing as the rage began to spill over. He would have put him through the wall if this were any other given situation, but with Noelle's life on the line... He twitched as he began to speak, the rage more than evident. 

“What the hell is she doing here?!” He finally roared, towering over Stryker with his claws splayed at his sides, the want to rip the man's throat out slowly becoming harder to resist. He watched as Stryker didn't even flinch, showing absolutely no fear with his confrontation. Stryker knew he had the upper hand. “You said she was released almost two decades ago! There was no reason to keep her and make her into... Into..” He was at a loss for words, his mind racing. He couldn't make anything clear through the rage.

“Into a god?” Stryker's voice was calm and collected, almost calculating. He'd seen Victor this way a few times, but the most recent was the moment that Liger had walked away and followed James. “Victor, I'm doing to her what should have been done to her a long time ago. We've unlocked her powers, made her a weapon like no other. She has no flaws, her physique is amazing even after being starved for years on end. She's the perfect candidate for the project. She'll survive, and when she does, she'll be unstoppable. Liger will be a force unlike any other.” He sat down in his chair, not even bothering to look Victor in the eyes as he gave his speech.

“She'll be ruined!” Victor roared again, slamming his fists down on the conference table, the whole thing threatening to break beneath such force. He was going to turn her into a heartless animal, just like what they had intended to do to Jimmy. 

They would cage her and keep her locked away so the rage could build, letting her loose on their enemies. But if Jimmy had survived... It would be the end of Noelle's humanity. “She's perfect just as she is!” He felt the want to break rising in his chest, his mind unable to take anymore mockery. Turning, slowly, he refused to look back at Stryker. “If she dies, I'll kill you...” Was the last thing his said, only to feel Stryker smile at him.

Slamming his door behind him as he walked in to his room, he vowed never to leave his room until he knew she would be alright, going so far as to refuse all missions and lock himself away. There was nothing to move the beast from his stance... And yet. There was one thing that seemed to grab his attention as he saw her laying there, exposed, alone. It was the scar upon her chest. It had hit him like a ton of bricks. She'd never let it heal over, which means she never forgave him. 

His betrayal was something she would never forget and he had always regretted. To lose her to someone like Stryker broke him. Having to watch her from those monitors the few days before, every day since he found out, just to make sure she was okay... And the memory of her red glowing orbs on the pitch black screen sent shivers through his body. He only knew three things:

He'd done this to her.

It was his fault.


	4. Escape

She suddenly became aware of herself and the realization that the water around her was calm, that her arms, legs, chest, hips, and even head were strapped down. She couldn't move, though she could hear the water move as her heart beat. She wanted to scream, to cry out, but water had filled her lungs, causing her to jerk a bit in the water. 

She began to notice the small swirls of blood mingling with the water, and then realized that there were needles in every part of her body. And yet, there was no pain. It was as though her receptors had all shut down. But her regenerative powers had chosen not to reject the metal needles. She wanted to look around, and as she tried, the realization that there was a large needle stuck in her skull hit her.

Taking a moment to collect herself, she attempted to let peace blanket her and a small grin graced her face, a very twisted grin. 'And once I'm released, they'll all die...' She thought to herself, reveling in the idea of slaughtering her captors. 'They can all die, and go away, and I'll be free, forever...' 

Her mind stopped and she couldn't help but let out a strained gasp as the machines roared to life again, an intense pain filling her every sense. It was like someone was cooking her from the inside out, and as much as she wanted to stay awake, her vision had already blurred and the shock silenced her mind. 

After what seemed like mere hours to her, they had her back on the metal table, a towel beneath her to keep her from the cold. The doctor, having walked over to her slowly, was obviously on edge as the coiled animal slept. He slowly reached out and attempted to life one of her arms, only to struggle under the new weight. 

Her skeleton had taken the metal, but only time would tell if the DNA they'd fused it with had stuck as well. With a nod of approval, he motioned for a grunt to come to him. They had covered her with a blanket from the neck down once her bindings had been replaced. He placed two fingers to her throat and felt a steady pulse beneath them. Letting out a rushed sigh, he pushed up his glasses in victory. She was alive, but she was also, now, a different monster entirely. 

Victor would let him live to see another day.

“Get her moved before she wakes. There's no point in letting her wake out here where she's not under control.” He muttered, nodding to his two grunts and beginning to shoo them from the room. Little did he know, 31 was well past the point of awake. 

She was alert and had been listening to every single word they had said, taking it all in, letting them do as they pleased for now. She would have her moment and she would take it, but for now, fear was her best bet. Keeping them on edge. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked directly up at the doctor who immediately held his hand out for the grunts to stop. She was a vessel of death now, and he was well aware of it as she looked about. 

“Don't touch her.” He muttered, watching as they both stared down at her, eyes wide. But her eyes remained on the doctor.

She looked about a bit more, and as she did, she saw x-rays, charts, computers... She felt the colours rushing into her pixels, swirling a multitude of colours before letting them rest on a deep crimson as she maintained her rage just as she had till she slept. She would let her power build before she released her fury upon them. Snorting, she let out a small laugh before closing her eyes again. She couldn't remember anything but words at that point. There were no memories, except of hem, and her time in the catacombs. 

“I will...” She grumbled and yawned, her teeth a new shade of silver that glinted under the laboratory lights. “Kill you all...” She sighed, before letting sleep take hr again.

Nodding, the doctor sent his grunts away with her, sending her to her new little illuminated cell. It had been two days of work, and she was alive. A new weapon for the boss. That's all that mattered to him, well, that and that Victor wouldn't have his head on a platter. Holding his clipboard to his chest like a shield, he walked down the hall and knocked on Victor's door with a trembling hand.

\----------------------------------

A quiet knock on his door made him jump. There had been silence for what felt like forever, along with her occasional unconscious screams of pain every now and then. Standing, he moved over to the door, opening it slowly, only to look down upon the rat doctor standing in his doorway. 'She must be alive...' His thoughts ran for a moment and while it was a relief, it was short lived as the stupid little man opened it mouth.

“She's alive, Victor.” Puffing out his chest rather proudly, he felt wind rush past him as Victor hurried down the hall and in to the room. Seeing an empty laboratory, he looked about, staring up at the x-rays and then at the empty adamantium vat. Swallowing hard, he looked to the tank, which was emptying. 

“She had to be take to her cell. She was awake and a danger to the rest of us.” The doctor stated as he walked up next to Victor, whose eyes were still settled on the empty tank that had once been full of adamantium.

“To you maybe...” Victor grunted, turning to grab the doctor roughly, picking him up by his scrawny little neck. “You could have let her loose!” He growled, his features pale as he held the meek man up against the wall, his claws threatening to pierce his neck as he squirmed and writhed in Victor's grasp. 

“You could have freed her and she would still be the same Noelle I once knew and not the monster you've created! WHY?!” His voice filled the halls, his roar echoing only to be halted by a voice that rang from the end of the hall and broke Victor's concentration. The footsteps that moved toward him threatened to push him further into a blind rage.

“She'll be free in due time, Victor. But for now, she's a very useful chess piece.” Stryker stated, making his way from around a corner, taking a moment to stop near Victor and watch the man in his clutches squirm. “Now, let's put the good doctor down and find us a few mutants.” He almost crooned as he rested a hand on Victor's large shoulder, which caused a low growl to begin in his throat. It continued as he looked to the doctor, their eyes meeting just before he dropped him, ripped his glasses from his face and threw them on the ground, stomping them to near oblivion before moving down the hall toward the conference room, not looking back to see the doctor's terrified face.

He hoped to hell that Noelle would keep her promise.

They deserved death.

\----------------------------------

Opening one of her eyes, she let out a yawn and stretched before looking about her. There was no hay to cushion her this time, but something much softer. However, the light was blinding. Growling out, she heard a metallic ring in her voice which caused her to stop and process her changes. Lifting up her hand, she felt the extreme weight difference. And as she looked at her pixels, they quickly flashed a bright and silvery colour before going back to normal. 

Reaching out, she went to move the light away, but instead pushed it with such force that it slammed in to the wall and shattered, leaving her cube dark. Tilting her head, she grinned and looked at both her hands which also seemed harder to maneuver. And though that would prove bothersome, she did love the new little oomph of strength she had gained. She could feel her muscles straining as she raised her arm and as she began to sit up.

Looking around her box, she realized that she was then in one of the little illuminated glass boxes, just as 23 had been in, and that's when she looked to her left. There, in the cube next to her, she saw the sleeping for of the girls he had once seen as a sister. But she too had left her to her fate. How dare she let them take her away. The growl that had begun in the throat grew, scarlet flushing over her pixels in a furious way that cause her eyes to burn just as bright as they had in the tank. She was in the darkness of her box, only her eyes burning.

Muttering, the creature in the other glass box lifted her head and looked up only to sit up quickly with a smile playing across her beautiful features. “31!” She seemed so happy to see her. “You're back! You're the only one that's ever come back!” She was ecstatic, but to 23 it was evident that her happiness was not shared by her sister as only her eyes were visible. “31...?” Shrinking back in her cube, she felt her voice shrink as well. “What happened... to you...?” She questioned softly, only to let out a scream of terror as 31 lunged for the glass nearest to 23.

“Nothing you tried to STOP!” She roared, her new metallic coated voice hitting bother her and 23 like rocks, sending them both reeling from the pain in their ears. Looking at one another with their ears covered, 31 stared at her dear old friend, growling low as her heart raced with the rage she was withholding. Recovering as the echo subsided, they exchanged looks. While 31's was pure rage, 23's was that of sheer terror. She felt hr jaw tenses as she looked at the girl before her from the darkness, her eyes continuing to burn bright.

From the new silence the P.A. Fizzled and whined to life with a crack and a pop. “Please, keep the noise down in the catacombs.” It announced, only to enrage the creature more. 

“BRING ME THE GODDAMN DOCTOR!” Her voice carried as she roared, the metallic ring in it busting the P.A., sending it out of commission in a shower of sparks, send out feedback just before dying. Throwing herself at the glass walls as hard as she could, her fingers had turned into completely metallic claws, scratching at whatever she could, her teeth gnashing at the walls when her claws failed to produce more than shavings. And she raged, that is, until she heard footsteps.

Stopping, she felt her ear twitch at just how large they were, and then a scent was sent through her systems that caused metallic spines to erupt from her spine and shoulders. She stopped dead in her tracks, only to watch him walk up to the thin sheet of glass that separated her from the world. He was stoic, his features emotionless, and yet...in his eyes. Was that a small glint of...pain? It didn't matter. He'd chosen to show his face only now, show that he existed after they had done this to her.

“Victor...” She growled low, her eyes burning bright red, two small furious flames in the dark staring him down as he moved ever closer. She didn't move, but instead, looked him over, the tension in the catacombs growing substantially. “Lead them to me, shoot me, leave me for dead...twice. Then stand there and watch them ruin me further...” She rumbled, walking to the closest piece of glass to him. He moved just a few feet closer and stood before her, his eyes locked on hers. She was right, just as she always was. He had let them do whatever they had wanted to her. Run tests, torture... Without trying to stop it, without trying to help. “How dare you...” She hiss, watching his face contort in pain.

“I thought they had released you...” He muttered, looking at her with a bit of sadness in this eyes, sighing out in defeat. “Stryker had told me you had been freed years ago...” Leaning against the rock wall that the glass was anchored in, he watched her closely, wincing as he saw her teeth and her new claws. Not to mention the spines which seemed to flare as he made eye contact with her again. She wasn't the creature, at least not before. The fangs were there before, but only the fangs... Sure, she had been violent just as he had, but he could tell that with the last procedure, they had ruined her humanity almost entirely.

“No, Victor. They brought me back to that cell, right down there, after you walked away from me the last time. Stryker looked me in the eyes and told me that they would free me when they were done with me. And that if I even tried to get your help, they would kill you.” She stated, her eyes almost disappearing as the black threatened to take over. 

“That was almost two decades ago, Victor.” She wanted to roar at him with fury, but instead her pixels began to pulsate as they glowed bright crimson, her glaring eyes locked on his. “You had no idea because you believe the words of a man who should never have been born. A man so evil that life would rather extinguish itself than be subject to his trials. You never had the slightest fucking clue...” Her voice was still quiet, still low, and she watched at he flinched and drew back from her a bit, but just as she felt the urge to lunge at the glass, she saw something glinting in his hand.

Looking from the object in his hand to the fiery thing that had once been his best friend and his lover, he let out a long, haggard sigh. Holding up the glinting metal, she noticed that the shape of it resembled the keyhole to the box in which she was being kept. He shook his head a bit before looking back in to her eyes again, which had begun to swirl with a curious orange. What was he doing...? He as trying to read her every move, but Noelle had always been a code he could never crack. Despite her colours, it was still as much a mystery to him.

“What... Are you doing...?” She asked, dropping her guard as she did, her spines disappearing and her claws reverting as she seemed to calm tremendously. “Why are you... Why are you even thinking of doing this...?” Her voice had lost it's ring and her hands had dropped to her sides, her eyes locked on his as she tried so desperately to figure him out. This was the first act of kindness toward her since he had left her, and it was from him...of all people, the one who left her to rot. 

“Victor...” She furrowed her brow and stared up at him, her eyes glowing beneath her bangs that hid her porcelain skin.

“I didn't know they were going to do _this_ to you...”His voice was low and rumbling with his words. There was sincerity to them, and as his fingers twitched, he clenched his fists in rage, slamming one fist to the glass near her head, but it only wobbled at the impact. “And you'll never get out at this rate...” He added, looking down at her from under his furrowed brow. 

“The grunts are on their way, I know you can hear them. But with this...” He held up the small key, “You'll have the upper hand. And your freedom is down the hall...two rights, a left, and one huge steel door away...” He tensed, placing the key in the hole, turning it and as he expected her to pounce him, he saw her simply clench her fists and grit her teeth. Sighing out heavily, he turned from her with his head down, disappearing into the tunnels.

She looked from the place he had been standing to 23 who stood, he mouth agape at the sight of 31 not taking her opportunity to destroy him as she had wanted to only days before. Something deep within her just refused to let her turn on him. He was the reason she was there, but something in her mind just wouldn't take advantage of a broken man...and she hated herself for that. But if he truly was a foe, not a friend, then why would he let her free...? None of it made sense anymore.

They had clouded her mind.

She stopped and clamped her hands down on her head, letting out her loudest roar yet, the glass around her resonating with the metallic ring and begging to break though it wouldn't. Just as she let her hands drop, she caught sight of two grunts turning the corner and rushing toward her cell, the long electric pokers in their hands, no doubt for protection from her. Now it was time to let the rage loose. 

As they grew closer, she threw her hands out to the side, her claws, spines, and teeth had begun to glisten in the dark, her eyes growing brighter with every step they took. All the grunt could see was the red tinted silver and the fiery orbs. Then, without warning, just as they got close enough to her box, her door flew open. Before they knew what had hit them, the monster was outside it's box and throwing herself at them. Landing upon the first grunt, she dug her claws in to his chest, ripping at his flesh with her teeth. 

23 had taken a few steps back from the edge of her box, her eyes wide with disbelief as she watched the scene before her unfold. Who was the creature before her, surely not her sister whom she had known for so many years. Her friend had hurt people before, but no so violently or viciously as this. She was no monster, at least, not that she knew of. The humanity that she had sen in 31 just two days earlier was nowhere to be found. The light that had once shown such a bright purple was now gone, extinguished. There was nothing left of her but some brutal and unrelenting animal. A ferocious, cornered creature. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Looking down at her first victim, she grinned at the sight of the red blood staining the new white outfit they had put on her. Once more she felt the familiarity of flesh hanging from her mouth. Turning her head to the side, she looked at the other grunt before tilting her head with a sadistic smile, letting out a monstrous noise and flinging her previous victim at him before jumping on him as well. Her claws ripped in to his flesh, tearing pieces from him, even going so far as to dig into him, flinging bits of entrails here and there. As she looked down the tunnel, the way the first two grunts had come from, she saw no one else and assumed it was because someone had told them to steer clear of her, and that was fine. 

Once she'd caught her breath and her vision was clear again, she looked toward the direction Victor had nodded to. It was time to be free. As she started toward the far end of the catacombs, she felt a small pang in her heart, an emotion. 

Looking back at 23, she felt the familiar pang of sadness and sorrow, the pain they had both shared. 23 saw the look of sorrow and as she went to speak to her, she watched what had been blue quickly give way to red and watched it take back over her friend, and as it did, 31 went flying in the directions that Victor had given her.

Turning a corner, she saw a grunt before her and ran in to him, throwing him with ease into the wall behind her as she rushed past him, using his opposing momentum to gain even more speed as she fell to all fours, her pace increasing with every lunge. 'Looks like the oxygen deprivation did even more than I thought it would...' The though made her intrigued with further studies, but that wasn't important. 

Escape was.

Landing up against a wall with all fours and a loud thud, she stuck to it, latching her claws in the stone, but before she could begin her final sprint to freedom, she smelled him again. It sent chills down her spine and the red of her eyes gave way to purples and oranges. Shaking it off, although the calming was a nice feeling, and began her sprint again, running right past Victor who just watched her, his hand that had rested against the wall nearest him falling as he lost sight of her. Again...

\----------------------------------

He'd released the beast and she hadn't attacked. At least not yet. He figured for sure that she would find him in her escape and tear him to shreds just as he'd heard her do to the guards, after all, she'd promised. With the smell of copper fresh in the air, he heard a rather quickened gallop coming toward him and another guard scream only to hear a thud and then the noise from her ceased. 

She had stopped, just around the corner, probably from smelling him. And just as he thought, and almost hoped, his end was coming, she surprised him yet again by simply running off toward the door at the end of the hall, her bare feet hitting the stone fast and hard as she ran.

With a sigh, he rolled over on the wall, his shoulder still against it. There was video evidence of his betrayal to Stryker, and while she was escaping would be his best time to go and erase the footage, and that what he would do. Pushing off from the wall, he made his way back to the room where he'd watched her for so long. Walking in to the control room, he shoved the man guarding the screens out of the way before typing furiously. Once the evidence was gone and the recordings had stopped, he let out a low sigh and stared down at the grunt. 

“If you say a word, I'll let her eat you...” He muttered, and once the grunt had nodded he looked back to monitors, seeing her stopped just before the only barrier between her and freedom.

“Go...” He muttered, only to walk away from the monitors and back to his room.

\----------------------------------

Reaching for the door almost cautiously, she grabbed it, and, going to push it open, unintentionally threw it off it's hinges and a few yards out into the night's snow. It was a rather welcomed and appropriate reaction, in her mind, to her her current situation. Getting the fuck out of those catacombs was the only thing she had cared about for over twenty years, and now, she was free. 

Grinning, she shook her head a bit before rushing out the door and into the cold snow, a welcomed change to the place she had been. As the breeze hit her, a chill ran over her and she smiled as she took off on all fours again in no particular direction as long as it was away from there. The fresh air, the moon light, the sound of the snow crunching beneath her feet...it was all such bliss.

Looking around, she spotted a rather large tree and jumped to it, before digging her claws into it and climbing up the trunk with ease. Near the top, she looked around and smiled at the vast forest, her eyes falling upon a lake near by. Maybe that would be a good place to find a stream to follow... Taking in the sight once more, she began to calm, the rage subsiding for the moment. 

And yet, as the calm set in, she stopped every motion only to hear a small beeping. Her ears twitched as she listened to the steady pace of the beat, her spines rising slowly. Tilting her head, her eye began to twitch to the beat. In a fit, she released her grip from the tree before ripping the small sensor from behind her ear as she began to fall to the ground. About ten feet in to the fall, she realized this and threw the sensor as far as she could before twisting in the air to land on her feet and hands with a loud thud. 

Her reflexes were faster than ever, and her sight was sharper as she saw something move further down the hill. Taking a deep breath, she could smell the group of deer. Standing, she stretched, the thought of being a brand new mutant was refreshing. However, without warning, her feet slipped from beneath her and she landed on her back with a loud thump, letting out a gasp as she felt the air rush from her lungs. She was getting tired of that sensation. Crawling to get up, she looked around as if waiting for someone to ambush her, but no one showed up.

Rising from the deep hole in the ground she'd made, she dusted the snow from her shoulders and head, beginning to feel the chill nip at her bones, making the metal in her creak. It was getting unpleasant. In fact, it fucking hurt. Growling, she took a moment to smell around, but before she could even attempt to figure out which direction to run in, she flt her body go rigid against her will. 

Staring down at herself, she watched as her limbs began to flare out. Looking before her, a man emerged from the shadows around her, her new captor. He was smiling at her, the wrinkles on his face showing just how old he was. He was tall, thin, and while he was floating above the ground, his hand was held out as if he were really holding her still. He was dressed in all black, his head and face mostly hidden by a helmet, and a cape billowing behind him in the night air.

“Good to finally meet you.” He muttered, before walking toward her, causing her to move backwards until she was up against the nearest tree. “You're a new kind of specimen, aren't you...?” He tilted his head with a squint before looking over his shoulder to a woman with fiery red hair, golden yellow eyes, and vibrant blue skin who nodded slowly, her eyes pained as she stared up at her. “Now, child, it's time for you to sleep.” He smirked and pulled her toward him before slamming her back against a tree, hard enough to cause her to loose consciousness and blackout.

After about a week straight of sleeping, she finally set up and let out a low groan, rubbing her head as she did. There was no glass in front of her face, no smell of mustiness in the air. Instead, she was in a room, lit by the earliest morning light. And it was just a regular looking bedroom furnished with the simple things. A desk, a dresser, a bed which she was currently laying on. It all seemed so perfectly normal. And the bed was comfy too... Grunting, she pushed herself up from the bed, feeling her weighted arms move around made her muscles ache again.

She didn't appear to be a hostage, with the freedom of a room, no locks on the windows... She wasn't truly caged this way, but she had been taken against her will. Something she wasn't fond of at all. And with no idea who had taken her, or why they had done so, she was beginning to feel the rage again. 

Looking across the room, she saw a set of clothes that seemed like they would fit her just perfect. Peeling off her dirty and blood soaked white clothes, she slipped in to her new provided attire. They were new, they smelled new, and felt better than the cold she had been dealing with however many nights ago.

Walking over to the door, she slowly opened it, making sure to avoid any extra noise at all costs. There was still the possibility of someone jumping out from around a corner. She knew Stryker would have his team looking for her now, so her guard had to stay up. The hallway she entered at the second flight of stairs was empty, with no sounds or noises coming from any of the numerous rooms. 

Tilting her head a bit, she began her way down the stairs in a cautious manner. Come to think of it, the last time she had let her guard down she was throw against a tree by some new type of being. But before she could let the rage overcome her, the kitchen came in to view. Peeking around the corner, she saw an empty kitchen filled with ever possible type of breakfast food that she could have ever hoped for. The smallest bit of rage was replaced by the joy of seeing a real meal.

Without stopping to think, she rushed into the room, taking in the variety with her eyes before grabbing a few sausages and some pieces of bacon, running to a corner and plopping down to eat them. It had smelled delicious and as she took her first bite her mind stopped and let her just enjoy the taste. She was so busy in the bliss of her meal that she never realized the man in black from the night before had walked in to the room and was staring down at her as she showed her rather animalistic side. 

“You seem to be enjoying yourself...” He muttered, his voice cutting the silence and causing her to jump. Looking up at him from her hands, she'd forgotten about the piece of bacon hanging from her mouth. Watching him walk from her to the counter she tilted her head a bit before slowly resuming chewing.

To her, even the sight of him was enough for her spines to appear, but she suppressed them, not knowing weather to be angry with him for taking her or happy to be taken to a place with a bed and plenty of food. Weighing the two in her head, she let out a small snort and pushed the piece of bacon in to her mouth. For the time being, it would have to be the latter of the two. 

Her stomach would be full when she went to bed that night and that was good enough to keep any animal slightly pacified. Garbling a muffled thank you, she slowly rose from the ground and walked over to the table, looking at the size of it and the many chairs that accompanied it. Pulling a chair out, she couldn't help but blink a few times as a plate levitated in front of her. Taking it slowly, she looked to the man in black with a hint of irritation.

“There are quite a few others here...be considerate, won't you?” His voice was low, and a bit harsh, and as he removed his helmet, his white hair and wrinkles gave 31 another reason to tilt her head. He was so much older than she had expected. “You must be wondering who I am to bring you here, into my house, and allow you to eat my food...” He mused, dusting off his cape as he removed it and threw it over his shoulder, holding his helmet at his side in a pose that made him almost look like a super hero. 

“My name is Erik Lehnsherr. I'm a mutant, like you but with my own powers. A slight advantage over you that won't be exploited as long as you can behave yourself under my roof.” He added, making his own plate after he had neatly set his accessories on a chair in the corner. Walking over to the counter, she followed his example, but all the while her eyes were locked on him. Once she had sat, she watched him walk past and out of the kitchen, up to the third floor where he disappeared without another word.

With a fork full of food, she watched her surroundings, noting that even at such an hour there were still no noises. Other than her crunching on bacon. The sights didn't change much, that is, until the sun began to rise up and in to the windows, lighting the whole house up as it did. Blinking a few times, her ears twitched as she heard the sound of a door slamming somewhere up near the room she had been in. Eventually, after some thudding steps down the stairs, she was joined by a tall, well built blonde who grabbed herself a plate and made it up before sitting next to her at the table. 

“Hey there, gal!” Her voice had a strange twang to it that 31 had never heard before. It was an interesting accent to say the least “Haven't see you around here before.” She stated, kicking her feet up on the table effortlessly as she placed her plate in her lap to eat. Smiling, the blonde looked up from her fork, as if waiting for a response, but she got none from the confused and apparently on edge mutant. “Are you...new to the house?” She asked, trying to lead the new mutant in to talking with her. It was frustrating to try small talk in 31's opinion, but if that's what the girl wanted.

“Erik Lehnsherr brought me here a few nights ago...I think.” 31 muttered before garbling down a few more bites, watching the blonde from the corner of her eye. “What's your number..?” 31 asked, looking the blonde up and down with a paranoid glance, her hair covering quite a bit of her face. She could attack at any time and this sent 31's colours flying into an orange red mixture. She didn't want to drop her food, but she would if she had to. This new little bit of freedom was something she would be willing to fight for until a better option came along.

“Number?” The girl laughed her question, putting her bite that she was about to take down as well as the plate, looking at the newbie with a confused expression. No one had ever asked what her number was except head strong males at the mall every now and then. “Girl, we don't have numbers around here. We have names. We're mutants after all.” She seemed to puff out her chest a bit, being rather proud of her response. “Don't you have a name?” She asked, her eyes moving around the colours the new mutant shown without hesitation.

“31.” 31's eyes glazed over at her answer before she looked up with confused eyes. 

“Girl! I said we have names here! Not numbers!” She let out a wholehearted laugh and let her feet fall from the table as she turned to further face 31. “We all have mutant names.” She added, before tossing up a few little glowing orbs which had simply appeared in her hand. They were strewn about haphazardly and she let out a laugh as they exploded about them. “They call me Boom-Boom.” She rolled a few of the little balls across the floor toward the stairs only to be cursed at as they exploded. “Most of the folks 'round here call me Boom for short.” Her smile was wide and genuine. It was as though she enjoyed being chaotic, and 31 could relate.

“I guess... I guess they call me Noelle...” Her words were muttered as her eyes fell to her hands, the colours changing to a bright purple with just a hint of orange. The concept of a name was so new to her after so many years down in the catacombs. There was respect with a name, and in all honesty, she was sure if she really deserved to have a name. “One of my old friends called me Noelle.” She restated, looking up to Boom who smiled down at Noelle with a rather pleased look.

“Noelle. Hmm... Seems legit.” Boom responded before seeing a shadow at the top of the stairs. “Hey, Noelle, wanna see something funny...?” She asked quietly, nodding toward the shadow and the stairs only to grin as she was greet by a nod from the colourful creature. With the agreement, Boom brought up a handful of the little glowing orbs and lobbed them out of the kitchen an up the stairs at the shadow which attempted to jump out of the way, but before it could succeed, it faltered and let out a yell as it fell down the stairs and to the floor at the bottom with a loud thud.

Noelle attempted to keep her laughter in check but lost her mind at the thud. Her hands grasped her sides as she let out such a carefree laugh. It was a relief to be around another creature who wanted to be just as chaotic as she did and could do it with no hesitation.

Looking up at Boom, she laughed again before coughing a bit, choking on a piece of bacon. Patting her chest roughly, her ears were met by the sound of metal on metal for the first time and stopped coughing only to look down at herself and then Boom with wide eyes as a new problem hit her. “Oh god.” A cough erupted from her as the urge to vomit rose.

“Oh that? Yeah... That's Toad...” Her mutter came after she took a quick sniff of the air. “That would be what fell down the stairs a few seconds ago. He smells like a sewer, but luckily him and the other idiots of the house are usually out doing who knows what.” She stated, before taking a bite of her breakfast, only to stop for a moment. “If you want to piss him off, just call him Mortimer.” 

Her grin said it all. Hopping in to the room, Noelle set her eyes upon some strange and lanky mutant who really did look quite toad-eqsue. He was short, though not shorter than her, she had them all beat height-wise when it came to two would be shortest. As she studied him, she watched him look from Boom to her and the raise an eyebrow before speaking, his voice causing her to snicker under her breath as she ate a few more bites.

“Yo, Boom. Who's the new thingy you're sittin' next to?” He asked, making himself a plate before sitting down across the large kitchen table. His stench was atrocious and his manners weren't much better. Scrunching her nose a bit, she attempted to eat more of her breakfast, but the smell had her stomach tied in knots. He looked like he hadn't bathed in weeks and his hair was obviously greasy. Turning her nose up a bit at him, he saw her and glared at her. “Eh? What the hell's your problem?”

Noelle stopped trying to eat all together and sat her plate down on the table slowly. Getting up, although short, she stood tall over the now sitting Toad, her eyes flaring red. Before any one of them knew what had happened, she had Toad hoisted in the air by his throat, her metal claw forming to slowly pinch his skin. 

A low growl escaped from her as she watching him squirm and struggle in her grasp, doing his best to try and free himself. As she was about to rip in to him she felt a hand on her shoulder and stopped growling for a moment as she looked over her shoulder, only to see Boom looking down at her.

“Might as well put him down... If you don't want to get in any trouble that is...” She seemed irritated with her own words of advice as she spoke, hating that they had to abide by the house rules. Noelle could tell she wasn't a fan of authority, and knowing all too well just how much ruin an authoritarian figure could do, she let out a rumble. As she set Toad down and slowly released her grip, he grabbed his plate and hopped out of the kitchen in a rush. “He's not worth your effort, honestly.” Boom added, plopping back down at the table, finishing off her breakfast.

“He will be, one day... He looks tasty.” Noelle muttered, walking back over to her empty plate and picking it up before placing it in the sink. Sitting back down, she looked over to boom who was running an emery board under her nails. “He seemed rather...ill socialized.” She muttered, looking at her glass of orange juice. “Is everyone in this house so crass...?” She questioned, looking over to Boom who let out a laugh at her question, causing her colours to swirl orange. Tilting her head, Noelle tried to recall if she'd said something that was worth such a reaction, but she was rather sure she hadn't.

Once she had controlled her laugh, Boom wiped a tear from her eye and smiled at the colourful woman next to her. “I'm sorry, hon. It's just funny that you think we're all so polite. Most of them are pretty rude about things, like their entitled or some shit. Toad is a total loser when it comes to manners and being acceptable. The most “polite” person you'll find here, besides myself, is Wonda.” Boom replied, getting up and looking up the stairs before she set her plate in the sink as well. “Her and Havock are about the most decent mutants. But the rest are a bunch of slobs and jokes. Especially Blob.. Ugh.” She rolled her eyes, only to hear a succession of thuds and then one exceptionally loud one at the bottom of the stairs. “Speaking of the mountain of flesh... And, no, before you can ask, he's not made of gelatin.” She hid her face before throwing a ball of boom up at the face of the man.

Glaring down at the blonde, the mountain moved past the table and grabbed a rather large plate, filling it with a mountain of food. With some solid stomps he walked back past them and out of the kitchen toward the living room. He was new to her and yet there was something so familiar about him. Noelle couldn't quite pin it. 'That tattoo on his arm though...' She thought, only to shake her head and look back to Boom.

“Blob. I think is real name is... Fred something? But I don't really pay attention to mutants like him. He just sits on his ass on the couch all day watching television and eating. It's disgusting really. I mean....have some self worth...” She muttered, only to hear metallic footsteps making their way down the stairs. 

“AND LANCE IS A REAL STICK IN THE MUD!” She suddenly shouted, which caused Noelle to almost fall back in her chair at the sudden change of volume. It kind of hurt her ears to hear such volume so abruptly, but as Boom let off a few more of her orbs, she couldn't help but join her in laughter at Lance's expense. It was beautiful just how chaotic this creature could be.

“Goddamnit Boom!” He shouted, before rushing into the room only to stop at the sight of the purple glowing girl next to Boom. “Quit your shit Boom, or I'll cave in your goddamn room.” He rumbled, filling a plate and sitting down only to be joined by a flash of silver, which when stopped at the counter, was a kid in his late teens with silver slicked back hair and pale skin. 

In a suit of green, he was a rather interesting find. Especially for having his powers in control so young. Looking at the two of them for a moment, she tilted her head before looking back at Boom who smiled at her new friends curiosity and pointed lazily to Lance.

“This is Lance - “ She began, only to be interrupted by the boy who seemed to get severely irritated at hearing the name and stopped Boom mid speech. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

“It's Avalanche. Thanks.” He almost seemed to growl as he spoke and it made Noelle let out a small laugh as she shook her head. Such a child to be trying to act so brave and pompous. It was nothing but hilarity to someone who had seen true bad assery. 

He looked up at her and growled low, his eyes rolling back in his head a bit as her chair began to shake. She let out a small noise and was about to lunge at the child when another walked in to the kitchen, catching her attention. Another mutant teenager?

“That's Pyro.” Boom yawned, her arms stretching out only for her to point at the silver haired boy. “And as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted... That kid over there is Pietro. But he prefers Quicksilver.” She added, before another of them could interrupt her introductions again. “Piet – I mean, Quicksilver -” Her voice was drawn out in seer irritation and mockery by this point. “- is Wonda's brother. She doesn't care which name you use but her mutant name is Scarlet Witch. She's a pretty okay gal, in my opinion.” Boom added, only to kick Lance to stop him from shaking Noelle's chair so that she could st back down.

Her mind couldn't seem to keep up. She was still stuck on the mountain of gelatinous flesh that had walked into the room earlier. 'It couldn't be Dukes... Could it...?' Thinking to herself, she tilted her head in thought, not all of the world making sense. Why would she even know him? There's no way they had ever run in to each other before, she would have most definitely remembered someone who was as disgusting and nauseating as him. 

'Ugh...' She shuddered only to look up at Boom who nodded toward the doorway with a smirk playing over her face. There, standing against the doorway with her arms crossed, stood a blue woman with fiery red hair and golden yellow eyes, them staring her down as she slowly stood.

“And then we have boss lady. This blue skinned gal would be -” But before Boom could introduce the newest and most interesting person in the room, the red head held up her hand and shook her head at Boom. Looking back to the blonde, she watched her throw her hands up, get up, and while throwing a few orbs over her shoulder, took her leave. 

Looking over at the boys who were attempting to push their plates away, Noelle let a small smirk to the corner of her lips as their plates exploded. By the time Boom had disappeared they were all covered in their food and grumbling among themselves as to how to get back at her. She could hear her laughing as she went up the stairs.

“Chisana...” As the woman spoke, her voice seemed so familiar, although thee name she had spoken didn't ring a bell. What the fuck was with all the familiarity? She knew no one in this house, no one in this town, so why did any of them seem even remotely familiar? And yet, there was something about the red head that pulled at the tangled threads in her head. Like a frayed end had been ever so gently tugged. “Noelle...” She said again, as if hoping one of the names would bring her back to reality. And all of the sudden, Noelle could put a name to the face. That is, just maybe she could. It had been in a dream once, at the facility.

“R-Raven..?” She almost asked, her brow furrowed and her head tilted away from the woman. She was skeptical as the boys looked from her to their boss. A migraine rushed over her and she grasped her head with one of her hands, wincing as she looked back to the woman. The pain of remembering her was agonizing. “It can't be... You were just a dream...” Without realizing it, Noelle had begun to walk toward her, and with every step toward her, her pixels had begun to grow brighter and brighter, like an orange flame. 

“They told me that those dreams were just dreams.” Shaking her head, she closed her eyes for a moment. Opening up her eyes, another sharp pain shot through her. “But they were memories, weren't they...?” Her question was to no one in particular, but she saw Raven nod to her and she began to move, gesturing toward the backyard. Following behind her, Noelle felt her mind begin to unravel if only for a moment. Once out on the porch, she leaned against a post, looking at the woman with her head tilting and a slight scowl.

Sitting down on a step of the porch, Raven looked up at her long lost friend as she leaned against a post on the porch, her colours swirling mostly orange with just a touch of purple. Their eyes had remained locked, and while she was sure her own portrayed a smile, the look on Noelle's face was that of frustration. Her arms across her chest an her brow still furrowed. But there was something so different about her. 

There was the fact that Erik had been able to control her, which meant that Stryker had had his fun with her. But there was something else about Noelle that was keeping her intrigued. Looking her over, she noted that while her pixels were beginning to be taken over by purple, there were more of them than the last time she'd seen her. But with Noelle's primary colour shining bright, she was further relieved. She was alive, and they could talk without worry.

“I'm so relieved to see you alive. You were missing for so many years I thought for sure you were dead. It's so good to see you, Noelle.” Raven muttered, putting her hands behind her and resting some of her weight on them as she did. “I was positive that Victor had taken you to Stryker and he would have yo tortured to death...but I see he's done worse than that...” She added, musing out loud only to catch the colours attempting to change upon Noelle again. “Noelle, they're memories. Your dreams are memories. I know you remember me...”

“You... You were like my sister. All those years ago... After I split from Africa. I remember finding you again, but you weren't...” Noelle had begun muttering, wincing as her mind tried to unravel itself. A rainbow of colours flew over herself and washed over her hands as she held them out, staring down at them. “No. I didn't find you. You didn't try to find me. I...” Pausing, she couldn't quite place where she was. 

It was as though her mind had been scrubbed clean of certain memories. Looking to Raven as a tear rolled down her cheek, she let her colours settle on blue as she went back over Raven's words. “If you were so worried, you should have tried to find me.” She almost growled, her teeth threatening to show themselves.

Raven watched her with pain in her heart, not knowing just why she was wincing. But she was right, she had never found her again. Just before she could reach out and place a hand to Noelle, she stopped and looked up at her with a pained expression. “You...don't remember. Do you?” She asked, taken aback by just how much Noelle had forgotten in her time away. 

She was never so forgetful as this. But then again, she didn't blame her for not remembering the reason she had failed her. “Noelle... I was looking for Greyson... I wanted to tell you, but you and Victor had been...” Stopping, she could see her words slowly deepening the blues of Noelle's eyes. There were more tears now, and they were falling faster. “Noelle I'm so sorry... To have betrayed you in such a way as that... I never should have -” But as she began her apology, Noelle felt the fiery reds taking her over.

It was as if a small door somewhere in her mind had unlocked. She remembered something about Greyson being said so long ago. “Don't tell me you didn't mean to, because you did...” Noelle growled low, looking down at Raven as her eyes began a furious swirl of colours. 

“Don't you fucking lie to me and tell me that you didn't aim for Victor, because you did. You knew about us and you still went after him anyway.” Her voice was still low, but her tone was more threatening than it had ever been. Her claws had begun to appear and her teeth had grown, her eyes still set on her once friend. It's like nothing in the world would allow her to forget the pain.

Seeing the new claws, Raven shied away from Noelle, slowly standing to look at her small friend with a most bewildered look and wide eyed disbelief. Taking a stance, she would be ready to protect herself should the small beast unleash her power. 

She'd never seen such a side of Noelle. She was normally and understanding person with a kind heart, although when it came to Victor, or hell, even James, Noelle had been a different beast entirely, but not one such as this. Watching her friends chest heave in anger, she took a few steps out and away from the porch, her hands slowly forming fists as she readied to fight.

Looking down to Raven from the porch, she let out a scream, landing on her knees hard and clutching her fists. Having heard the house scatter, she took a deep breath, and that's when a smell pulled her attention to the further fence. A calming moment as her colours fell, black replacing them all. On the breeze, she heard him whisper her name softly, with a hurt and almost apologetic tone. 

Just as it had calmed her, it soon enraged her, her colours flaring back to life in a rush. As her claws retreated and her eyes dimmed, the rage refused to let up. He had betrayed her too...in that way. But he hadn't known until after Greyson was born. He didn't know until it was too late. That's when she had found out as well. She couldn't blame him, or could she...?

Clutching at her head again, she cried out as her mind was enveloped in chaos, the strings of memories and dreams tangling together as she tried to sort things out. Making sense of anything would be an impossible task until she could get away. She felt her colours swirling as her mind slowly began to release it's hold on her dreams, for the first time since she'd escaped. The false memories, and the dreams. So tangled and twisted. 

After a moment, she pushed herself from her knees and looked over at Raven with a few last tears falling, the stains from her tears disrupting her colours. Looking to the fence again, she took a deep breath and let his smell fill her senses before composing herself. Walking in to the house, she grabbed someone's coat, threw it on, and ran back out the back door, jumping the fence just over his head as she began to run from the pain again.

Letting her colours fall black, she looked out in to the city before beginning her sprint, noting again her new found speed, taking corners and alleys so they wouldn't be able to find her. She wanted to lose them all, disappear like smoke and never be seen again. Looking back over her shoulder, she slowed only a bit once she realized that no one was following her. 

There was a reason she had been so willing to let them ruin her memories and take her humanity. 'Pain...' She thought as a familiar ache rose in her chest. Looking out at the crowds of people, she thought of a precautionary measure and ran into the middle of a group of people, grabbing on to someone and tearing into them, leaving a bloody heap as she sped off again. Hearing the screams behind her, she disappeared into the chaos, losing everyone who would be looking for her, even him.


	5. Going Back

She ran for years, disappearing between the North and South, the East and the West. Eventually, with the help of her speed and stealth, she disappeared over the border and into the Canadian wilderness. There she bounced around for a while, living as a wanted but unknown murderer and a criminal. She had stolen so many times and had gotten rid of whoever had tried to stop her from getting as far away from her past as she could. 

Bouncing from place to place, hiding in caves and holes, even abandoned cabins. It was no way to live. Fortunately for her, she came upon a tree house that had been built out in the middle of nowhere. It was a perfect place for her to disappear far from the public eye. 

It was sheer luck that she had come across the shelter when she had. Winter was in full swing and the snow had begun to pile up substantially as the days passed. It was there where she began to pile up as many blankets as she could steal without being noticed. Keeping a decent batch of clothing in a corner, all of which she had stolen as well. It was easily warm enough once the blankets were in a small little nest like space and in a corner where there were no windows.

It was just her with herself, having to learn how to survive on her own in the wilderness, constantly talking to herself as she tried to figure out just what was fact and what was fiction. It was as though every time she'd pulled one string loose, four more decided to tangle again. She felt as though they'd left her such a mess on purpose, if only to slow her down.

Throughout a good many months, she had found that should she break a finger off while in the form of a claw, not only would her finger regenerate without a problem, but the appendage would remain in its metal form and never change back. This lead to an ingenious idea of creating arrow tips and even a small knife. It took weeks to get all the arrow tips she would need, so long as she retrieved each arrow, due to the pain of the regeneration and the time it took to heal up. 

But once she'd enough, she created a bow and notched plenty of arrows. It took months for her to learn to hunt efficiently, but once she had all her sense tuned, it became child's play. She'd even learned that with a bit of concentration, it was possible to push her regeneration on other creatures, having found out in the case of a small injured bird. However, she'd made a mistake by sitting still for too long, but Stryker had almost made a mistake. A fatal one.

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As the warmth of the morning sun hit her face through the little window of the tree house, she let out a yawn and stretched, much as a cat would, the metal of her bones creaking in the cold. After a few moments of grogginess, she realized that her hand was dangling out of the door of the house. She'd stretched out in her sleep and uncovered herself. Fortunately for her, she would never suffer frost bite, otherwise she would have lost a hand and a few toes to the nights freeze. 

Feeling around herself, she eventually found her coat and her bow and quiver that she'd made months before. She'd been out of food for a few days and the hunger pains had began to set in, and while she could stand it, it wasn't the best feeling in the world. She needed to hunt. Once she had a substantial enough meal, she would bring it back, skin it, and cook it. Or maybe she'd simply eat it raw this time. That was usually the faster route to take out in the wild.

Donning her coat as she sat up, she pulled on her gloves and grabbed a small bundle of adamantium tipped arrows, shoving them in the quiver before tossing it up on her shoulder. Grabbing her small knife, she tucked it gently into her boots and then laced them up tight, making sure that everything was together before moving to the door. As she stood, surveying the forest, she took a deep breath and smiled softly. 

Taking a step from the tree house, she dropped down into the snow, landing softly and gracefully on a knee and foot. She had learned to be so much quieter compared to how she had been the first days of her release. As her hair slowly fell around her and graced the snow, she looked up and around, taking note that no one had been around and nodded before heading off into the thick forest.

Twenty minutes in to her hunt, she took a deep breath and stopped. Closing her eyes, she smirked as she head a twig snap and the sound of the deer munching on the leaves and berries in a clearing near by. It was a family of deer, lead by a large buck. Moving quietly towards them, she made sure her steps were ghostly and her breathing was soft and calm. 

Coming up on them, she sighed a bit as she watched them all peacefully grazing without a care in the world. As her pixels faded to white, she began to blend in with her surroundings further, allowing her to move a bit closer as she readied her bow. And then, just as she was about to load her arrow, she took another deep breath and grinned. A better smell, a bigger smell... A moose. And it was a buck at that. He would be enough food to last her at least a few weeks.

Turning from the deer, she began to walk in the direction of the moose. Although it was a few yards off, it wasn't hard to find. Getting closer to it, she stopped behind a tree and looked around it, spotting the big lumbering creature off in the distance. It was having trouble walking, it was tired. It was perfect. 

Readying her arrow, she pulled back on the bow string, taking aim as she did. Once it had come to a stop just beyond a few trees, she locked on to it and took a deep breath. Releasing the breath, she let the arrow fly, watching it as it spun and twirled toward it's intended target.

As her head tilted a bit, she picked up on the tune from the arrow, the holes she'd notched in it catching wind as it flew, letting her know it's traveling direction. After a few tense moments, she heard the thud of metal into flesh as it hit it's target with a good bit of force. 

Grinning, she knelt down and pulled her knife from her boot before stalking over to it, her teeth forming as she prepared mentally for her meal. Getting closer, her muscles coiling as she readied to pounce, she saw something, or rather, someone she never thought she'd see again. And suddenly his smell trumped the copper smell in the air. 

There, sitting up against a tree was none other than a stunned Victor Creed.

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After trudging through the snow for what felt like a few days, he let his body stop, leaning against a tree as he looked about; his vision blurred as he looked around. Leaning more against the tree, he let out a rough sigh, watching his breath in the cold. Her smell was faint, but he could've sworn she was somewhere close. Taking a deep breath, he thought he head the sound of someone whistling, and as he turned to try to find the source he was greeted with a pain like nothing he'd felt in years. 

It was abrupt and horrible, and yet the adrenaline from getting hit was such a rush. He was alive, but injured and bleeding. Moving his hand quickly up to his neck, he was surprised to find an arrow protruding from it. He was hit in the jugular and the blood was spilling around his hand at an alarming rate.

With a grunt, he looked up only to see her stalking toward him with a knife in her hand and a hunger in her eyes. Wincing, he let his body fall to the snow, the tree holding him upright as his breathing began to become labored. 

What the hell was she doing way the fuck out in the middle of nowhere? And hunting never seemed to be something she would do willingly. He figured she would have some cushy place to live where the food was plentiful and there was plenty of warmth. But then again, three years was plenty of time to change...

Ripping the arrow from his neck, he let out another grunt and hastily slammed his hand to his neck, doing his best at attempting to hold in at least some of his blood as he watched her close, starting to feel a bit dizzy as she got closer. She was faded, and her colours were white, a colour he'd never seen. She was thin, but she still looked good, like she was surviving without a problem. Without warning, she had begun to panic and was moving toward him in a rush. Tensing, he sat in utter shock at her next movements.

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Without even taking a moment to think, she ripped a layer from the bottom of her shirt and rushed over to him, moving his hand and putting the cloth to his neck, applying as much pressure as she could. He let out a hiss and looked up at her with his eyes rather wide. 

She was muttering things like “Shouldn't be here.” and “So much blood.” and at one point she slipped, muttering the word “Hungry.”. She was so busy tending to him that she didn't even notice him looking her over. She was small still, and beneath her tight clothes he could see muscle that hadn't been there before. And no matter how dull she was, she was still beautiful. 

His vision started to blur and he felt himself starting to fall toward her hand a bit, but that's before she straightened him back up with ease and lifted the cloth, replacing it with her hand. He watched her close her eyes and would have sworn that her entire body glowed a bright golden colour. He felt a surge, much like being shocked by at least a thousand volts, and he was surprised to notice his vision correcting itself and the want to pass out was retreating. 

This was something he'd never seen from her before. Not only had she seemed to have forgotten that he could heal, she'd accelerated his healing as well, the wound on his neck closing at a rapid rate. He watched her move with such certainty and her eyes, though closed, were lit up and he could see it even beneath her lids. She was such a gorgeous creature.

Watching her eyes slowly open, he felt them lock on to his. Slowly, she removed her hand from his neck only to let out a small sigh of relief as she saw the gaping wound had closed for the most part. It took more energy than she would have liked, but this wasn't her first time trying. 

She grinned at the wound, looking quite pleased with herself, only to stop for a moment, her brain finally processing just who was under her hand. Standing, she grabbed the rag from the snow and chomped down on it, sucking on it to get the blood and hopefully appease her growling stomach. It wasn't meat, but it would have to do. Sucking on it more, she simply stared down at him, not attempting to talk. 

Looking him over, she let her eyes move over every part of him. His hair was a bit longer than usual, showing the lack of care, and his eyes were black from the lack of sleep. His scruff had grown considerable as well. It's as like he didn't care anymore. The once vicious Sabretooth now sat before her in the snow, simply staring, appearing to be nothing more than a broken man. So very, very broken. He, himself, was haggard and worn. 

Though he still cleaned up nice, Noelle could see the dimmed light in his eyes, and it hit her that they had both lost the lust the once had for life. Tire and done with it all. It almost pained her to see him that way, but as he sat up straighter, his fingers tracing where the arrow had been, he looked up into her orange eyes. Catching him staring, watching her new and rather perturbing behaviors with slight disconcert.

Letting out a sigh, he slowly stood up from the ground, taking his time so as not to fall back into the snow, resting his weight against the tree. He couldn't help but smirk at what an interesting little thing she still was, and his memories of her must have been failing for she seemed a bit shorter than before, or maybe it was just the two feet of snow around them. 

But as he looked her over again, he caught sight of the red ebbing on the orange that covered her. A bout of rage was hiding inside her, and it was eventually going to head in his direction, but he would be ready for it when it did. Her spines slowly rose from her skin as she finally began to speak in such an old voice that clearly hadn't been used in years.

“How dare you...” She rasped, looking from his eyes down to her hands and then to the blood that stained the snow strawberry red. Looking back up to him, her eyes began to swirl with scarlet. Normally, his height would have thrown her off her game, but this time, she was the one with the best weapons. She was a stronger adversary, stronger than him in more than just a few ways. Hell, if it came to combat she might even stand a chance. 

“How dare you track me down and even think of looking at me like that...” A growl had begun in her throat and the blood soaked rag fell to the snow at her feel, landing with a soft thud. “What makes you think that after all this -” And then, without warning, his hand was upon her cheek. He had moved so fast and given her no time to put her guard up to keep him away. With that contact, her breath hitched and she felt a tear fall. That one tear would betray her colours and her words.

“I'm sorry, Noelle... For everything. For Greyson, for the facility... All of it...” He whispered, no gruffness about him, just genuine sincerity. His apology was followed by a rather soft kiss on her forehead which sent her reeling mentally. He saw her leg begin to give out out of the corner of his eye and quickly scooped her up into his massive arms, looking at her without missing a beat. He slowly sat back down in the snow with her in his lap before handing her back her rather intricate arrow. Looking down at the arrowhead, his hand moved back to the wound and traced where it had been. He could feel her watching all of his movements.

Taking the arrow, she realized that, oddly enough, she would have rather shoved that arrow straight into her own heart than back into his jugular. “Do you even know what you've done?” She asked, he face pained and saddened, her eyes peering up at him out from under her hair. Her eyes were so blue and it was obvious that she was ruined from everything that had happened. She felt her heart breaking all over again, just from his touch and his voice.

She couldn't believe he would dare speak to her, let alone show her any affection after all he'd done. The Facility, Raven... There was too much for her mind to handle. Quickly, she clamped hands over her head and felt her colours swirling out of control. She didn't know how to feel anymore. Especially not about him, not after everything... Part of her missed him so desperately, part of her wanted to shove him away and run, and part of her felt like he should have been someone else... But her thoughts were stopped by one simple realization. 

“I've been still for too long...” She whispered.

Looking down at her, he let out a small sigh and nodded, brushing her hair from her face an tucking a stray strand behind her ear. Her hair had grown so much since the last time he'd seen her. And a new sort of something happened as his fingers moved through her hair; a trail of colours followed them. It was mesmerizing. 

He would be her downfall time and time again...but after a second of thinking, he put a claw beneath her chin, tilting her head up to look into her blue eyes. Looking down at his beautiful Noelle, he cautiously and slowly moved to place his lips softly upon hers. As he closed his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a magenta rush over her pixels, joined by blue, red, and orange. So many emotions.

Hearing his heart speed up and hearing him let out a small, soft sigh, she let him win, betraying herself by kissing him back. A few more tears fell as she felt her heart skip a beat for the first time in years. Once he pulled back, away from her, he ran a thumb over her cheek, wiping away her tears before resting his forehead on hers. She let out a soft, haggard sigh and rested her head against his, her hand slowly moving up to his neck, healing the scar that remained as it rested there. 

Moving her hand up to his cheek, she let it rest there a moment. Seeing her breath, she stood up slowly, before taking his huge hand with her rather small one, leading him slowly out of the wilderness to the tree house. Once inside, she sat down on the pile of blankets and looked up at him, as if trying to assess what to do next.

Sitting down, he looked back at her and smiled for a second, something she hadn't seen from him since Africa, and this time it was caused by her, not by bloodshed. It was nice to see him be himself for once instead of the cocky, belligerent Creed. Instead he was someone with some humanity, although broken. He moved over to her and put a hand on hers, looking at her pixels as they flushed again, getting brighter with every second he touched her.

It made him smile even more to know that he could still make her happy. He had thought that she would maul him upon sight, but she didn't. She accepted him showing up, accepted his apology, and even brought him in from the cold instead of leaving him for dead in the snow. He found his hand tracing where the wound had been again only to chuckle softly, which caused Noelle to flinch and then tilt her head.

“You're just a bright as I remember you being...” He rumbled, smiling as she tilted her head the other direction. “And a better shot, for sure.” He added, watching her reaction as he spoke of her attempting to kill him out in the woods, but she remained quiet. He had noticed that her voice was rough when she had spoken to him, like she hadn't used it in years. He wanted so badly to ignore the world outside, to take her away and never let another soul know where she was hidden, but there was one solemn fact they would both have to face. 

“You're not safe out here...” He whispered, looking down as he did.

“I know. If they send you, they're serious...” She replied callously. Looking up at him, she let out a small sigh as her attention turned to the sun rising higher in the sky. The warmth was welcomed in such weather. And no matter how hard she would try to avoid just how she felt, her colour would betray her at every turn that day. 

The magenta faded to a blue as she thought about all the things that had happened. He saw this and sighed gruffly before running his fingers through her hair which caused her colours to flush purple if only for a second. She leaned toward his warm hand, noticing that it rivaled the warmth of the sun. 

“Why did you take me to them...? Why did you leave me with Stryker thinking he only meant good...?” She choked out her question, attempting not to let the blue return and failing horribly.

Looking down at his hands, he clenched his fists. “Because I was a good little coon hound and did what I was told. I listened and did what he told me to do.” He let his fingers tangle in her hair as he pulled her closer to him, practically in to his lap and against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her heave and tremble, which prompted him to hold her tighter, keeping her close before letting out a shaky sigh of his own. “I never should have trusted him... God, Noelle... I'm so sorry.” He pulled back a bit to get a look at her face. Tears were streaming down the cheeks of the timid little thing that slowly curled up against his chest.

Sighing out, he felt his heart twinge with pain, hating himself for putting her through the memories of such a horrid point in her life. Placing a hand on her head, he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head before resting his head against hers. He felt her pull herself even closer to him and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to keep himself composed as he watched her heave with sobs. 

“I'm so sorry, kitten...” He whispered as he kissed her head again. It had been so long and she had become so fragile. It was obvious that the years had been less kind to her than he had hoped. She was still just as beautiful and intoxicating, but he couldn't help but let out another shaky sigh.

Managing to catch her breath, she rubbed her nose and wiped her eyes furiously with her sleeves. Pushing her hair behind her ear, she remained curled up against him, thinking about all the things she had gone through and the thoughts of what he had meant to her so many years ago. She remembered that his heartbeat was the last thing she would hear at the end of the day. 

Feeling his fingers graze her cheek gently as he absentmindedly messed with her hair, just as he once had, it was like it was all a dream. And there was still something that wasn't right, but she ignored the feeling. Looking up at him with the bluest eyes, she couldn't help but let out a soft sigh and nuzzle into his neck, sending chills over his body which caused him to shudder and chuckle as his body relaxed beneath hers.

Taking a deep breath, he took in her smells for the first time in a long time, only to let out a disgruntled sigh as his mind raced through his own thoughts. “I've been trying to find you ever since the Brotherhood...” He muttered, his breath hitting her ear, sending a shiver through her. “I wanted to apologize, to tell you to come with me...” With a sigh and a shake of his head, he held her tight, letting his words out in almost a growl as he spoke again. “I wanted so bad to make everything okay...”

She felt his chest hitch and looked up at him out from under her hair with her blue eyes again. She saw him staring off and out the window as a solitary tear rolled down his cheek. It was so rare to see Victor this way. In fact, she couldn't remember having ever seen a tear from him. 

He was never one to show just how he was feeling, especially when it came to sadness and pain. He'd rather laugh it off from what she could remember. But now, he was a most broken man... Moving a bit, so that she could wipe away the tear, she felt him jump as she touched him, seeing his eyes fall to hers. With a very small smile, she pulled his head down and kissed him softly, her free hand finding it's way to his neck.

Kissing her back with a soft grunt, he put a hand on her hip and pulled her right up against him, his fingers pulling at the thin cloth that covered her skin there. Letting out a rough sigh, he lifted her up a bit and turned her a bit so that he could keep her close and kiss her again, but deeper and almost feverishly this time. After a moment, she felt her own fingers gently pulling at his shirt as she kissed him back just the same. 

Pulling back from her, he looked down at her with a familiar glint in his eye as hers swirled with magenta and purple. A familiar and welcomed mix. Sighing out roughly, he let his hand run down the side of her body as his eyes remained locked on hers, almost glazed over with the temporary high.

Resting his forehead on hers again, he let out a rushed and breathy chuckle before shaking his head just a bit. Her love was like being drunk. She herself was such an intoxicating creature, but to combine that with her smell and the feel of her skin...it was like a drug addiction. She was something he just couldn't kick, something he would always go back to if he had the chance. 

She looked up at him out from under her bangs and sighed out gently as she felt his hand entangle in her hair again. Kissing her once more, he pulled back and just held her close. They would have time to reunite in such a way later, after he made sure that Stryker could never touch her again.

“Noelle...” He sighed out, the thrill of simply saying her name in such a way made his mind swirl. “I know that you don't want to go back....” He muttered, kissing her forehead before looking down at her. “But what if you go back, but you never have to see those rooms again...?” He moved her hair from face and raised his brows slightly, looking down at her in hopes that she would see just what he meant and choose him. “What if you were an Agent instead of a subject?” He added, brushing his nose against hers.

“You mean like I was all those years ago? Victor...” She watched a glint in his eyes. Even saying his name was driving him insane, and she could tell. It was interesting to see just how he reacted after so long. “I don't want to go back...” She sighed out, looking down and out the window. “There's no guarantee for me that Stryker won't be brazen enough to try something else..” She added, looking back up to him with a small frown. “And I can't do what you do... I can't.. I can't take people from their lives.” Shaking her head a bit, she felt his nail gently beneath her chin and stopped to look up at him. 

As much as she wanted to be with him, to be near him, being under Stryker's thumb would be just as painful as being one of his play things. Feeling his eyes lock on hers, she sighed out and kissed him hard, chills rushing over her body as he returned the kiss. It was as though each one was drawing them closer together. “If I do this... If he touches me, I'll kill him without a second thought...” She finally stated, only to close her eyes as he took a hold of her hand gently and held it to his lips.

Hearing this, he couldn't believe she was actually agreeing to go with him. “I won't stop you..” He murmured, nuzzling his face in to her hair as he took a deep breath. “As long as you're with me, as long as you can stay close... As long as you're mine, they'll never touch you...” He growled low, pulling her tight again. “I promise.” He added, only to pull a small phone from his pocket. “I'm going to go arrange all of this... In the mean time, you might want to change out of the blood stained clothes you're in...” He stated, lifting her hand and nodding to his blood that caused her white clothes to be stained red. 

Getting up slowly, he couldn't help but watch her as she got up and moved to the other side of the house, slowly pulling her shirt from her body. Moving over to her, he ran his fingers down her side before leaning down to kiss her on the neck softly. Smirking as she turned to look at him over her shoulder, he moved to the doorway and climbed down.

Sighing out, she pulled on her new shirt and new coat, looking around as she did so. So many things to leave behind. She would take her bow and arrows, and her knife though she could hide that. It would be her trump card should Stryker try to corner her. Grabbing a small sheet from the stack of blankets, she began to throw her clothes in to it, she tilted her head as she thought she'd heard her stomach growl. 

But, standing still, she realized that it had been Victor who had growled. His voice was raised as he spoke, and she heard something about not caring so long as she was safe. She could hear him pacing and hear his heart beating so loud in his chest. Most people would never speak to Stryker in such a way, but Victor knew the in and outs of the monster. Peering out the door, she saw him hand up and then turn to look back to the house.

Looking up at her, he marveled at her long purple locks. Her hair had to have been almost as long as she was tall. Letting out a chuckle, he smiled as she tilted her head in curiosity. “Time to go.” He called up, only to let out an irritated noise as a huge sheet full of what he guessed to be clothes hit him. “I can buy you more clothes...” He muttered, only to have her land squarely beside him in a silent flash, not making a noise, her hair falling gently as she looked up at him. She had almost bothered to ask why before looking down at her clothes. He watched her eyes decide to change to a bright magenta as she shrugged. “You glow so bright you could be a lantern...” He joked, chuckling as his little creature walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

“You gonna offer to carry a girls things...?” She asked, nudging him playfully as she looked around and walked over to a large branch that had fallen near by, breaking one of the small limbs on it off before shoving it through where the sheet was tied together. Hoisting it up on her shoulder, she felt his eyes on her and turned to look up at him. 

“Well... Lead the way then.” She added, putting her other hand on her hip. It took no effort for her to carry such a large load which made him look her over again. All of the muscle that were being used looked larger than before. She had gained quite a few pounds simply from her new adamantium skeleton.

Taking it from her with a large hand, he carried it over his shoulder as he lead the way through the snowy hills and then down through a neighborhood, finally ended up outside a coffee shop where a black limousine was waiting for the two of them. As he opened the truck and threw in her clothes with a bit of a grunt, turning, he saw Noelle looking around. 

The world had changed a bit in her time away from things. And though she'd been to it a few times, but not enough to keep up with everything. He kept his eyes on her, and as she looked up to him, he opened the car door or her and after she was in, he walked around to the other side. Looking to the door, she shut hers once his was shut. Her paranoia was evident, but she didn't care. She was going back to Stryker's world and she had no idea what he would do to her if he got the chance.

As the driver began the arduous drive back to the facility, Noelle attempted to look out the windows, but they had all been blacked out. Probably so that no one would know exactly where the Facility was. Looking over to Victor, she tilted her head a bit as his brow furrowed. He wasn't looking at her, or anything in particular, but his look was that of worry and stress filled his features. There was something he wasn't telling her. Placing her hand on his shoulder, and he seemed to snap right out of it, looking down at her with a tired smile. He thought for a moment before pulling her closer.

“Zero will be watching you, making sure you do what you're thought to in the facility.” He muttered under his breath, looking down at her as he watched her reaction carefully. But after a moment, she only tilted her head, as if lost at the name. It was a memory that was missing. “You don't remember the ever loyal Agent Zero..?” Victor asked, moving a strand of hair from her face to behind her ear. “I...guess you don't.” He added as he watched her expression stay the same. “He was the one who lead the task force in Africa while Stryker stayed behind.” Victor noted, only to see one of the many strings in Noelle's head untangle from the mass. 

“Oh. Right, David. Very Stoic and chauvinistic.” Noelle felt her nose scrunch up and looked to Victor who nodded back to her, confirming that she was right in her memory. “She he's still Stryker's little butt buddy then?” Her head tilted to the side, and for the first time in a long time Victor let out a laugh. It had been years without her humor and it was still perfectly sarcastic. It was also usually spot on. 

“Yes, they still are...” He growled a bit, remembering Zero's words in the control room. “He even has Zero keep an eye on me now... Ever since your escape.” His growl continued only to stop abruptly as a thought came to his mind. Raising a brow, he looked her over before asking his next question, his mind playing over the results that could possibly come from it. One he would hate, but should it arise, then so be it. “Do you remember anyone else...?” He asked, moving his hand up to brush her cheek, her pixels flushing pink as he let out a chuckle. 

“I remember... Fred...Dukes?” She questioned looking at Victor as if needing more confirmation. Watching him nod he tilted his head as a purple-ish colour rolled over her as a revelation hit her. “I saw him at the Brotherhood!” Victor couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. “But he was huge! The Fred I remember was so built and fit!” Her laughter filled flooded the car as she looked up at Victor who was simply grinning down at her. “BLOB IS DUKES!” She shouted amid her laughter, only to wipe away a tear from having laughed too much. “Oh good lord is Dukes past his prime.” She added, looking at Victor who laughed and nodded. But it was a false laugh and she could hear it.

“Anyone else?” He encouraged, tilting his head as she put a finger to her chin, a deep orange rolling over her every pixel. 

“Uh...” Stopping, she looked serious for a moment and then she winced, a hand going up to hold her head as another thread fell from the tangle. Victor had reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, his look that of pure concern. Shaking her head, she let go of it and sat back up. “There was some guy that talked too much... But when he shut up he could do insane things with his swords...” She muttered, only to watch the expression on Victor's face drop at the mention of the man. The look of sheer annoyance caused to stifle her laugh. She could picture the man perfectly, but no name came to mind. 

Sighing out with irritation, he rolled his eyes and grunted. “Wade... Wade Wilson.” He muttered, looking to her and noting her nod. “We all not so fondly called him the mercenary with a mouth.” He added, only to sigh again in disgust. “Do you remember anyone else...?” He asked as he looked down at her. Watching her tilt her head for a minute, he was almost scared that she would. 

And then...she shook her head. He was happier than hell that she still didn't remember Jimmy. Her remembering him would have been...catastrophic to say the least. At least to Victor anyway. “I'll remind you of the others once we've settled in. No point in giving you another headache during a car ride...” He muttered, pulling her close to kiss her head softly.

Leaning against him, she let out a yawn. Usually around mid afternoon she would take a cat nap, but today would be a different monster to handle, especially with having to be back at the Facility. She felt a bit of red tinge her fingers and hair but forced it down before Victor could see her and worry. He'd been dealing with enough for the last few years, there was no point in putting him in that situation right now. 

If Stryker chose to confront her, she would deal with him alone. Victor was a bystander in that situation, he would not be asked to spill a drop of blood. After a few hours in the car, her mind started to race. Ho was she going to live with herself? Taking mutants from their homes and bringing them to Stryker to throw in his catacombs...

Sensing her tense, Victor placed a hand to her cheek and moved to kiss her forehead, lacing his fingers with hers as he heard her let out a small sigh. “It'll be okay...” He whispered, only to twitch as he heard the car coming to a stop. “And it's time to deal with this...” He grunted, before getting out and walking around to her side, opening her door. As she stepped out, she set her eyes upon the outside of the Facility in it's entirety for the first time in her life. Something she would never forget. He grabbed her things from the trunk and threw them over his shoulder, leading her into the tunnels beneath the surface with an apprehensive feeling.

Following close behind him, she heard a scream and had to stop to cover her ears. Once he'd heard her footsteps cease, he looked back to her and walked back, pulling her close as he continued on, hoping that the state she was in would fade. He hated doing this to her, but it was the closest way to his room. Feeling her cling tight to him as they moved along, she stopped in sheer fear as she saw the lab in which she had been experimented on. 

He stopped with her as he watched her look around. The x-rays and charts, the tank and now a map of the States with little red blinking dots all over it. Shivering, she felt chills run over her whole body, causing her to involuntarily let out a small whimper. Before she could stop herself, she had dug her claws in to Victor, embedding them in his flesh. He let out a small grunt and was just about to comfort her when a voice rang out of the silence, causing her claws to dig deeper.

“Noelle, so good to finally see you again. Welcome home.” A man walked around the corner, out of the darkness and into the light, smiling at her before crossing his arms over his chest, another figure standing in the doorway, hidden by shadows. She could only guess it was David and the man before her was Stryker, looking just a bit older than the last time she'd seen him. 

“Well done, Victor. And you too Noelle, for finding your way back to where you belong.” He was arrogant, a man so full of himself that he couldn't see the evil he was doing and all the misery around him. It made her skin crawl and her stomach churn as she thought of this. It was beyond sickening. “You've done well for yourself, I see.” He added with a smirk.

“I'm not here for you.” Noelle hissed, releasing her claws from Victor to turn her body toward Stryker with her teeth slowly appearing as she spoke. “What you did to me...I'll never forgive you.” She growled, her body going rigid as she felt her heart begin to race, the want to pounce and destroy him rising. Everything about him was appalling in some way, and even offensive. The only thing holding her back was Victor.

“No, I suppose you're right. You aren't and you won't. But it doesn't matter.” He muttered, looking at his new agent with a fondness that made Noelle want to vomit. “You came here for Victor, and since you're both home for the day, why don't you go and get settled. I've got a mission for you both in the morning, and I need you both alert. I happen to be looking for someone who got away from me a long time ago...” He trailed off as he began to walk away, down another hall with his shadow following behind him. As he disappeared from sight, his voice rang out again with a mocking tone. “And no, Victor, it's _not_ James.”

Growling, Victor put his arm around Noelle and nudged her on, leading her down a few halls into one with doors every so often, lights above each one. They were the only light to brighten the hall, leaving it a bit dark. His attention had been grabbed by a map just down the hall, but his concentration was broken as Noelle opened his door and ushered him in after seeing that his side was still bleeding. 

Shutting the door and shoving him onto his bed, she lifted up his shirt and looked at the wound, checking for any fibers that might remain. Caught off guard, he looked at her with wide eyes only to shake his head with a chuckle. Although, there was a look in her eyes that reminded him of hunger. Grabbing a rag from near his bed, he sopped up some of the blood and handed the rag to her which she took greedily and began to suck on. Sighing out, she looked down at him, a bit of shame playing over her features. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he lay back on his bed, wincing at the wound began to heal a bit slower than usual.

“This is the second time today... I'm sorry...” She muttered in between slurp. “I don't mean to keep injuring you like that...” Her voice was low and a bit of blue played across her. She watched Victor sit up before pushing himself up off the bed, watching him leave the room, she tilted her head once he had vanished. 

Was he upset with her? But before she could start internally yelling at herself, he returned, a tray full of food in his hands. Her eyes widened and the rag dropped to the floor as her jaw dropped open a bit. “Food!” She squealed, taking the tray from him gently before scurrying over to a corner where she began to shovel the delicious bites.

Shaking his head, Victor let out a small chuckle. She was quirkier than she used to be, and a little creepier, but somehow it was all the same Noelle to him. Watching her scarf down the food, he began to pull his shirt from his body, not wanting to cotton to heal into the wound. He looked to her and saw her staring a she ate, although she said nothing. 

It was nice to be wanted like that again, especially when it was her that wanted him. Without making a single noise, she walked up to him and slid her arms around his bare torso, her fingers tracing the muscles beneath them. Sighing out, he'd almost let out a groan but held it in.

Smirking in to his back, she slowly let her fingers change and ran her now claws down his chest, feeling the muscles of his back twitch and tense as she did. It was a thrill ride when the two of them got together. Every reaction drove her further into a bit of madness that she hadn't felt in so many years. He let out a low grown before turning around to face her, he looked down at her small figure and smirked before picking her up and wrapping her legs around him. 

There was almost an innocent look on her face, but it was quickly replaced by a mischievous smirk as she dug her teeth into his neck, causing him to let out a gasp and then a loud growl. It was music to her ears. And he'd just left his skin at her disposal. Pulling back, she looked up at him as she licked her lips, her colours mimicking the colour of his blood.

Sitting down, he leaned back from her a bit, tilting his head as he admired the crazy little thing in his lap. All though she had new twitches, she was still almost the exact same Noelle he'd known and loved forever ago. She was a little more deadly, but it was as though the years she had been alone had brought back some of her humanity and there was a bit more colour to her now that they were safe and hidden away. Turning a bit, he gently lay her out on the bed, looking down at her tiny frame on his massive king sized bed. She was such a vision, even being worn and tired. That's when an idea hit him.

Grabbing her back up off the bed quickly, he booted open the door to his bathroom, setting her down on the counter before moving to turn the shower on full blast. When he looked back to her, he watched as she took everything in, her colours a blur of oranges and purples, that is, until he began to unbuckle the belt from around his waist. He watched her turn pick and avert her eyes which caused him to let out a bit of a laugh.

Hearing the sound of the buckle being undone, she immediately looked him in his eyes, not daring to look down at his hands, although there was some part of her that almost dared. But before he pulled the belt free, he walked over to her and placed his hands on her hips, leaning over to kiss her softly which seemed to calm her a bit and he couldn't have sworn he heard her purr as she kissed back. When he pulled away from her, he smirked as a magenta rolled over her. His happy little Liger. Slowly, he slid his fingers under her shirt, pulling up slowly as he peeled in from her gently.

She wanted so badly to withdraw from him, to hide her figure. She hadn't been seen that way in years, what was to make her so attractive now. The years had been hard on her and there was nothing beautiful about a worn soul. But as her shirt was lifted over her face and tossed to the side, she watched him drink her in, inch by inch. She was small in stature, but well built. Not enough to be unattractive, but enough to show definition. As he looked back up to her eyes, she felt the magenta mix with pink and flush brighter, exposing her insecurities for what they were.

“You're just as beautiful as you were however many decades ago...” He muttered, moving her hair from her face and placing a hand to her face gently which she happily leaned in to. “You have nothing to be ashamed of with me...” He added, tilting her chip up with a claw so that their eyes met. The pink had started to leave, leaving mostly magenta. He could tell she wanted to hide, that she was so uncomfortable in her own skin, but why? She was perfect.

Slowly, almost cautiously, she reached out to grasp his belt, pulling it free from his pants, tossing it the direction in which he had tossed her shirt. She watched him watching her with some sort of glint in his eyes, and that's when she realized just what his mind was playing at. 

He wanted to misbehave, and it was written all over his features. But before she could do anything, he bent over and pulled his shoes and socks from his feet, tossing them out the door before delicately removing her own. It was interesting to see him treat her in such a way, like she was some fragile thing that needed to be handled with the utmost care.

“Victor...” She almost whispered, which caught his attention, his eyes looking up from her now bare feet and to her eyes. “I won't break...” Her words were full of Freudian meanings, not that she had intended it to sound that way. His eyes almost seemed to light up and he moved his fingers to fiddle with the button on her pants, pulling them from her just as gently as he had her shirt, his hands running back up her legs once they were removed. And then he ran them down, his nails gracing her skin gently which caused her to let out a small growl and lock eyes with him, never breaking the stare.

He smirked, removing his own pants to leave them both in their bare essentials. He couldn't help but look her over again, loving the look of her porcelain skin, her gentle curves... Gently, he unclasped her bra and let it fall from her. Watching her tense, he let out a chuckle and shook his head a bit before removing his boxers, leaving him bare. He had never been self conscious about himself in the slightest. He knew just how he looked, and it was something he had quite a bit of pride invested in. 

Staring at his face, she felt her face flush pink again. She didn't dare look down or look him over. She wanted to, but something about it was wrong in her mind. There was some force within her holding her back, as though she weren't supposed to enjoy things with him. Then, without fighting him off, she let him remove the last article of clothing from her, exposing the rest of her body to him. With her underwear tossed aside, she avoided his gaze, looking to the side since looking down was out of the question. There was just something odd that made her want to hide all over again.

He picked her up gently, stepping in to the shower and under the water with her in his arms, letting the warm water hit them both. Her eyes drifted up to his and she saw him relax for the first time since he'd found her, his eyes closed as he let out a sigh. She shoved her face into the warm water, letting out a rushed sigh as he set her down, letting her disappear under the stream. 

It had been so many years since she'd had a proper shower and just the warm water was enough to please her. The two cleaned up, no teasing, no torturing, just pure relaxation and enjoyment in getting to relax for the first time in a long time; her from the stress of running, him from the stress of hunting. After a little while, she realize that her care for her nudity was gone, and when he was looking at her, it was as if he were drinking in a strong liquor. He was intoxicated by her and loving just the sight of her, which she liked.

As they dried off, she looked around only to see his eyes settled on her chest. She'd totally forgotten about the scar she'd never let heal properly. Even subconsciously she had suppressed her healing in that area of her body, both internally and externally. Her lung hurt on occasion, but it was better to feel the pain of a wound than the pain of someone so close to her betraying her. Quickly, and without a word, she threw on a pair of underwear and a large shirt and hurried from the bathroom. That talk was the one she'd waited for, but now she didn't want anything to do with it.

“Why...?” His question came from the bathroom only to be followed by him as he leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and his brow furrowed as he stood in a towel. “You heal faster than any of us. So why is that still there...?” He was trying not to sound calloused about it, but there was a hardness in his voice that neither of them could avoid. It was a constant reminder of the day he'd led them to her and given her away to them.

“Because... Because I wanted a pain that wasn't in my heart...” And as she spoke, she realized that she meant that in more than one way, but she couldn't place the other reason. It was as if someone had taken a batch of specific memories from her. “Or my mind for that matter...” She added, looking down at her hands. “I wanted to feel something... And every now and then my lungs hurt...or the skin throbs... But in the catacombs, it was the only way I could feel even slightly alive...” She was trying to avoid saying the one sentence she knew he was waiting for, but avoiding it would only make the inevitable worse. “And because it was a reminder of why I wanted to die there.” Her skin twitched and so did she as he stepped closer to her, but there was no anger in him anymore.

Looking down at her, he pulled the collar of the large shirt down and ran a finger over the spot, the roughness of it such a contrast to her soft skin. Letting out a sigh, he moved over to his dresser and opened a drawer, grabbing a pair of boxers and threw them on before sitting down next to her on the bed. Resting his elbows on his knees, he laced his fingers together and frowned. There were so many thoughts rushing through his mind, about her, about that day. Hopefully she would believe his side of the story once it was told.

“Noelle, that... That wasn't caused by me.” His voice was a low rumble, almost monotone as he had to relive the day he had grown to loath entirely. “Stryker... Stryker had told me that there was some precious treasure worth finding in the Appalachians. I had to agree...due to circumstances. And I didn't know it was you until I smelled you...until I saw you... Until I heard your heart beat.” His hands were shaking and his whole body was rigid as he spoke slowly. “I told them a direction and Zero took it from there... That wound is his doing.” He added, before feeling his claws grow as his own rage began to build back up. “I ran to you to try to warn you... But I was just a distraction...” Finally, his eyes looked up from the floor and locked on hers. “I'm so sorry...”

Looking up at him, she watched him hold his head in his hands, hiding the tears that threatened to fall from her. She had kept this reminder and blamed him, but really, he was just auto-piloting through his life. She wanted to say something, but her voice was caught in her throat and her breathing had hitched. She couldn't manage to make a sound and it was bothering her more than it should have.

Taking her hand, he continued to look her in the eyes, wanting to fix everything... But there was no way for him to undo all the pain she'd been through over the years. He was surprised when she took her hand from his and then pulled her shirt from her body. Watching her movements, he let her do as she pleased, not wanting to ruin anything that might happen. 

When she grabbed his hand, she felt his muscles tense, but as she placed his hand over the wound and closed her eyes he watched the skin there glow gold. Once she let go of his hand, he removed it and looked at her chest, relieved to see that her porcelain skin was once again beautiful and flawless, before looking into her eyes.

There were no more tears, but there was something about her features that made him want to go to the ends of the Earth for her. Sure, there had been rushed romances, but there had never been anyone like her. Slowly, he reached out and pulled her close, burying his face in her neck and letting out a long sigh before taking in a deep breath. Her scent was amazing, and so calming. His muscles slowly tensed only to go rigid again as her hand touched his bare skin, her fingers running down his chest before moving to rest on his back and the other on his shoulder before pulling tight against him.

Laying back on the bed slowly, he pulled her down with him, holding her close as he let out a long sigh and his body relaxed. She had forgiven him. And was even allowing him to touch her after everything he'd been a part of in the last few decades. Feeling a hand come to rest on his chest and looked down at her, only to lock eyes with his now magenta coloured Noelle.

Slowly, he pulled her up and placed his lips to hers. There was something about her that made him want to be so delicate with her, like she was a doll. If he pushed too hard, maybe she would break. As she kissed back, the passion over took over his mind, pushing him further toward madness.


	6. Like Souls

That night, Noelle found herself unable to sleep much at all. Her surroundings were too new and there were noises that bothered her psyche. Like the sound of machinery and every now and then the conversations between two grunts as they walked the halls on their security checks. There was nothing to help her sleep either. 

Moving away from the slumbering giant, she stood and looked down at him. So peaceful. With a small sigh, she though of all the things she wanted to say to him, to show him...to do. But it would have to wait... Then the thought of the oxygen deprivation tanks crossed her mind. Shaking her head, she walked over to her bundle of clothes and grabbed some underwear, a shirt, and some comfy pants, pulling them on slowly. 

Looking back at Victor, she let out another sigh but this time of relief at seeing him still sound asleep. Taking a few steps toward his door, she froze as she heard a noise and looked back, only to see him grumble and roll over, grabbing a pillow and throwing it over his head. 

Opening the door, she tilted her head a bit as the smell of the place filled her nose, and after looking in both directions and seeing no one, she walked out of the room and delicately shut the door. Retracing her steps from earlier that day quietly, she felt a shiver run up her as the cold ground met her bare feet. Such a cold place when the machines were powered down....and without shoes.

Continuing down the hall, she turned a corner and followed another hall before stopping dead in her tracks, her eyes adjusting to see the room before her rather clearly in the dark. It was the room in which she had lost herself to the monster she'd become. Where she had met her captor and he had chosen the words that would seal his fate forever. For now, she would serve and obey, but only for now and only for Victor. 

Slowly, her feet took her into the room, entering it cautiously. With just one step into the room, all her memories of the catacombs and the process came rushing into her mind. All the screams that echoed in her mind, all the pain resurfacing. But instead of turn tail and run back to her safe little room, she decided to have a peek at what they were doing to mutants like her...or were they all now monsters just as she was?

Looking around, she spotted the tank she had once been submerged in but noticed another small one attached to it with tubes that were running to all the needles. Walking over to the tank, she looked down in to it and saw some silvery liquid residue. Reaching down into the tank, she stopped just inches from it and withdrew her hand. Lifting her head up, she came face to point with a drill like needle and her claws produced in mid jump. 

A memory of the pain of someone trying to cook her from the inside out... Those needles. Her eyes darted about and landed upon some vials upon a counter next to some files. Taking a deep breath, her claws and spines both slowly produced themselves. Turning around, she came face to face with Stryker who flipped a light on as she began to back into a corner, her silver rushing over her.

“I see you found your way back to where you were perfected...again.” He began, turning the corner further and walking toward her with a rather arrogant smirk. “And it's about time too. We've missed you here..” His empty words echoed off the metal walls, reverberating around all the equipment. “We tried our best with you... We really did. It just... It seems like you didn't want our help..” He gave her a patronizing pout and she felt her muscles tense and coil. It would be so simple to kill him here, now.

“Your help did nothing but turn me into a monster!” Noelle roared in a fit of rage, all of her flaring crimson and swirling with silver. He was mocking her pain, mocking her misery. She wanted to pounce, she was coiled and ready, but there was something so chilling about Stryker's calm demeanor that she dare not even touch him. David must have been somewhere near. So she stood her ground, only to growl out as he began to laugh, taking a few steps toward the tank she had been in.

“Monster?! My help was making you stronger! Look at you now! You're amazing! You don't even know the full extent of your powers!” Stryker yelled out, throwing his hands up to gesture at her claws, spines, and teeth. “For fucks sake! You're a god among men now! Look at yourself! There's nothing that can stop you!” Laughing more, he walked closer to her and smirked as she tensed and backed further away from him. “I mean, for gods sake woman! You're beautiful this way!” That's when a voice from the hallway interrupted Stryker's mockery and Noelle's concentration.

“She was beautiful before you did this to her...” Victor grumbled, standing in the doorway, his fists clenched and his teeth gritted. Walking over to Noelle, he put a huge hand on her small shoulder, standing between her and Stryker so as to help her unwind if at least a bit. Looking down at her red and silver eyes, he could see the rage fighting to be released. “Noelle...” He muttered, and as she looked up to him he let a small smile cross his features, one that Stryker couldn't see. “You're still beautiful to me...” He rumbled, moving a strand of hair from her face.

“So you really have a heart, don't you Victor? That's something out tests never revealed.” Stryker's voice was mocking and snide, trying to ruffle up Victor as well. Noelle watched him tense up as he turned, Stryker simply smiling at him from across the room. “The both of you should get some more sleep. You've a mission in just a few hours...” He added dully, before turning and walking away down the hall, the sound of his footsteps retreating. He got some sort of sick pleasure out of making them both miserable.

Once Stryker had disappeared fully, Victor looked back to Noelle, his hand still on her shoulder tense as he slowly let go. Hearing a pop, he watched her shoulder fall back in to place, but she didn't wince, nor did she move as she stared straight ahead. 

He'd dislocated her shoulder when he'd turned to Stryker, but she hadn't felt it nor had he heard it. And he knew this, because her colours were still swirling, but they had changed to blue and red instead of silver and red. Looking in her eye, it was obvious that she wasn't all there, like she was stuck in a thought that was pulling at the threads of her mind.

“Noelle...” He whispered, crouching down a bit so that they were face to face on the same level. He waved his hand in front of her face but got no response. “Noelle, hey...” He put his hand back on her shoulder and that's when the pain hit him like a ton of bricks. But it wasn't her claws his eyes saw when he looked down. Her nails had grown, and although they were silver in colour, they looked just like his. Frowning a bit, he let out a grunt and fell to a knee and pulled her hand from his stomach. 

“Damn it woman!” He growled, placing a hand to his gut, the blood slowly stopping.

It was the smell of his blood that brought her back to reality, much like smelling salt to someone who had passed out. Looking down at her lover's stomach, she let out a small frustrated snort and moved his hand gently. He was still healing to slow for her liking, so she pushed her powers upon him with a gentle glow and the wounds were completely healed in mere seconds. He grunted again and looked at her as the golden glow died down, and let out a small sigh. He could see her tears threatening to spill from her eyes and he nudged her, before putting his nose to hers.

“I'm fine.” He muttered, kissing her softly for a second before standing back up. “Let's go back to bed...okay...?” His question was answered with a small, curt nod. Putting his arm around her, he felt her cling to him, and they both headed back to his room. 

Once they were in bed and comfortable, he waited for her to fall asleep before letting himself rest peacefully again. Little did he know that she was still awake and that the memory had begun replaying itself in her mind over and over. She had seen just what he had done and it was so painful that silent tears fell to the pillow beneath her. They were like her family...

Wraith... Bradley...

In the morning, they were given a new mission, and begrudgingly for both of them, they went out and began their surveillance. The whole time Noelle felt like someone had eyes on her, like there was something that was going to happen. A gut feeling. And yet, as the day moved on, nothing. It was just a regular surveillance mission that they completed after a full day out. That was all they did that day, returning to the Facility at sun down.

That evening, they ate in silence in his room. She wanted to say something about the gruesome scenes that had played out in her head all night, but instead, she waited until he had finished his food before moving to lean against him. 

He put an arm around her and let out a gruff sigh, nuzzling his nose in to her hair and taking a deep breath. They both were still broken, but at least they were broken together. She laced her fingers with his and looked up at him from beneath her hair, her eyes slowly turning a light blue as he looked down to her.

“This isn't going to be easy...” She whispered, nuzzling against him gently as she felt him nod. He understood, but didn't speak a word. That is, until she looked down at her hand and her nails grew. He followed suit, letting his grow a bit as well before looking from their hands to her eyes. She was unaware of this ability and it was blatantly written across her face. 

“What did they do...?” Her voice cracked but before she could shed a tear, he placed a kiss to her forehead and let out a long sigh. “I don't even know who I am anymore Victor... I remember the torture, the catacombs... And my dreams...”

Running his fingers through her hair, he was a bit upset as he didn't see it change colour this time. She was in such a melancholy state. Grumbling, he pulled her into his lap and held on to her, practically purring in to her ear, his hand gently running up and down her arm reassuringly. 

He felt her relax just a bit and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger. “I know...” Were his only words in reply. But he didn't really know. There was no way for him to comprehend just how broken she was. All the things she had been through in the last few decades...he had no idea.

She knew that in some way, it was the truth. She knew all too well just how broken he felt, because she had felt it too. But between them, maybe there could be some happiness in that hell. She looked up at him and placed her lips on his softly, lingering just a bit before pulling back. Her pixels slowly filtered to purple and he smiled softly, happy to see the change in her mood. But just how long it would last, he would never know. One day, he was almost positive of it, she would wear down from living there for too long.

\---------------------------

One night, a few months later, when Victor had fallen asleep and she hadn't been able to, she wandered around the maze of halls until she had found the doctors office. Walking in to the room, she looked about and saw a small file cabinet in the corner. 

Opening , she rifled through it before coming upon a folder labeled “X-31” and opened it, her eyes drifting over the information slowly. In it, was a list of all the things they had done to her. But the one she had her eye on was the results of the oxygen deprivation.

“After two days, subject has shown heightened senses including sight, smell, taste, and sound. Strength has increased at least three fold and what appear to be pixels have gone from covering twenty percent of subject to fifty percent. Claws have grown. Guard spoke of telekinesis but data is unconfirmed.” 

Once she'd read it all, she stopped and put the file down before closing her eyes and holding her head. A face flashed through her mind if only for a moment and then it was gone and she couldn't recall it again. With a frustrated grunt, she grabbed the file and continued to read. “Accelerated regeneration and shock therapy was success in some areas of memory deletion...” 

Looking over to the darkened room, she stood and turned on the light. Looking at the blacked out chamber, she looked back to the file and shook her head before walking over to the chamber, hooking herself up to all the sensors and then stepped in to the chamber, pulling it closed after she tapped the button to turn it on. 

Hearing the chamber snap shut, she took a deep breath and calmed herself, leaning back and relaxing. As the oxygen levels slowly began to lower, she let out a long sigh and focused her mind as much as she could before the feeling of suffocation taking over her. Gasping, she wanted to break open the chamber, but with all the will power she could muster, she remained until she passed out.

Letting out a cough, she opened her eyes and almost cried out at just how intense the pain was from the light and her lungs expanding again. Reaching out, she grabbed on to whoever had opened the chamber and lurched out of it, coughing and sputtering. 

Closing her eyes for a moment, she could tell the light had turned off and then opened her eyes. Looking around, it was as if the light had never been turned off. Looking in front of her, she saw Victor standing before her, his eyes frantically looking around. Grabbing his arm, she looked up at him and saw him attempting to look down at her. 

Putting her hand to his cheek, he calmed a little and once he had, she let go and walked over to the light switch before closing her eyes and turning on the light. Opening them slowly, Victor was standing before her, his face showing all the worry he had built up. 

She hadn't told him anything of wanting to put herself back in that position, but the opportunity to see if there were any more hidden powers in her body. She had need to know. She didn't smile at him, and her colours didn't change. Looking down at her arm, she pulled her sleeve up to see that it her pixels now covered three fourths of her arm. She had expected that. 

“Noelle...” He muttered, walking over to put a hand on her shoulder which caused her to flinch. Tilting his head with his brow furrowed, he looked her over to see if anymore hard had been done to her. “Who put you in there? Was it that fucking doctor?” He asked, looking around the lab only to stop when she shook her head and stared at her hands, watching the claws form. No change. 

“Noelle... How did you end up there?” He asked firmly, watching her check herself over. With a grunt, she looked up to him and paused for a moment, trying to think of just what to tell him. “Noelle, it's been an entire day. How?” He was being a bit firmer than she would have liked, but it was fair enough she supposed.

“I put myself in there.” She stated without much emotion to her voice. Grabbing her file from the desk in the other room, she sat down with a pen and began to jot down her own notes. “Seventy percent pixel coverage...” She muttered, before tilting her head as she looked over her fingers. They had grown back, so who was to say that her entire arm wouldn't? 

Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and grabbed a scalpel, driving it into her arm with reckless abandon. She heard Victor call out and then looked back as she pulled out the blade and watched the hole close immediately. Jotting down another note, she heard his footsteps and looked up at him as he yanked the paper from her hands. She wanted to growl, but instead, she tilted her head. “You should read it...”

Looking down at her with a scowl, he growled low and folded the paper up, putting it in his pocket before nudging her. “C'mon... We need to get back and head to the conference room... It's a take down mission today...” He muttered, following her as she left he room, locking the door from the inside before shutting it behind him. 

Looking from the door to her, he couldn't help but feel that she was starting to lose it. No one would willingly subject themselves to such a treatment unless something were wrong. Although her notes... Sighing out, he jogged to catch up with her before disappearing with her to complete the mission of the day.

\----------------------------

After a year and a half longer, and catching her in the chamber three more times, they had found a bit of solace within each other, but it was slowly vanishing. He could tell that Noelle's heart was no longer in her threats, that her heart was no longer attached to anything. 

He could tell that her colours had faded and that her smile was false... One quiet evening, they sat, her back up against his chest as they sat on the bed, her hands playing with his as she just stared. Hearing him let out a long and tired sigh, she looked up at him as best she could and raised a brow at him.

“Noelle... I can't...” He stopped and tense a bit before turning her around to face him. His eyes were locked on hers as she felt a bit of coldness from him. There was nothing about him that read relaxed at all. “I can't let you stay here...” He muttered, running his fingers over her cheek gently. 

She watched his movements without saying a word, letting him express himself as he hadn't been doing lately. “I can tell just how damaged you are... And this place. It isn't healthy. Not for someone like you...” He added. Kissing her nose softly, he looked down at her hands and took them in his own. “I was afraid of this... Noelle, I knew it would be too much and I was a fool to let you stay for so long.”

Letting out a shaky sigh, she was glad he understood just how much the place was taking from her, although there was more sympathy than empathy again... But he understood and that was the least she could hope for. As she looked up at him, she felt a small tear run down her cheek, but she managed to speak thought the tight feeling that had clamped down on her chest. 

“Victor...” She rumbled, sighing before kissing him deeply. He returned the kiss only to freeze as he pulled back and saw the look on her face. “I'm sorry...” Her brow was furrowed and she let out a rough sigh. She wanted to be more torn up about it, but for some reason, she wasn't.

“I'm sorry too, Noelle...” He replied, holding her hands up to his lips, kissing each one softly before looking back up at her eyes. “You have to get out of here.” He added, only to look down at their hands again. “So tomorrow...during the mission... Just disappear...” His muttered words caused her colours to go flying with so many emotions overwhelming her. She went to speak, but he stopped her with a deep kiss full of passion. “Please... Don't argue with me. Just promise you won't come back...” He added, his eyes locked on hers.

With a small nod, she felt a few more tears escape down her cheeks without warning. Pulling herself tight against him, she buried herself in his arms and held tight to him. A few sniffles later and she was crying a decent amount. And though there was a pain in her chest that made her want to double over, she was still numb to the whole situation. There had always been loneliness in her life, but never a loss that she could remember.

That night, they spent all their time curled up with one another.

\--------------------------------

Out in the middle of the Canadian wilderness, back towards where he had found her is where they looked at each other and kissed one last time. He put one of his jackets on her gently and zipped and buttoned it up. This would lead anyone that was hunting her right back to Victor. Grasping his hand as the snow blew around them, she began to walk away, and as slowly as she could, let go of his hand. All of her flushed a deep blue, from her hands to her hair. 

“I love you..” He whispered as she let go, but before Victor could blink, she had whited herself out and disappeared into the blowing snow. With her disappearing, his loss was greater than it had ever been. His heart hurt like someone was pulling it from his chest so slowly. At that moment he knew that he would never be the same again. Auto-pilot would take over again and he would live as a slave and a good little coon hound for years to come...

She was gone.

\-----------------------------

Before she knew it, she was out in the woods alone. There was nothing to be found except for her and the blowing snow was only getting worse. Looking around, she began her trek toward the life she had once known, but with more humanity on her hands than before. 

There would be no senseless murders, no stealing or crimes of any nature. It would be just her and the world. She would have to start from scratch, with no job and what little money Victor had given her to get by. It wouldn't last but more than a few days at best. Shaking her head, she rubbed her eyes a bit and made sure all of her pixels remained white, hiding her from any eyes that might be on her.

Pulling his jacket tight around her small figure, she continued onward into the unknown. It would be a few weeks before she would reach the New York/Canadian border. She would be illegal without her paperwork, but she would have to take the risk. If she got caught, there was nothing she could to save herself. She had no one to call and no money for bail should she need it. 

But it was a life away from the Facility, away from the Brotherhood, and she would be free and on her own. To her, it was worth fighting for. She could hide and live with her pain by herself, just as she had before Victor had found her again. She would be able to hunt and feed, but she couldn't stay still this time and she had to get back into the States.

After three weeks of trudging through snow with hardly any food besides berries and the snow for water, she was starting to feel weak. She'd reached the woods near the border as made evident by the huge gap in the forest. Taking a few steps toward the border, she felt a familiar force start to press upon her skeleton. That same irritating force that caused her to loose all control. Suddenly, as if on cue, Erik walked out of the thick snow flurries and flung her up against a tree on the States side of the gap.

“Lensherr...” A low growl built in her chest as he splayed her out, both of his hands outstretched this time around. She knew there was no point in struggling against him, no point in fighting. He was always going to have that one advantage over her that she just wouldn't be able to win against. She simply had to watch him walk closer as she rose up against the tree, her hands clenched in rage as she was manipulated against her will. One of these days she would find a way to sneak up on him and remove his powers once and for all.

“I told you once before young lady, my name is Magneto.” He retorted, stressing his hands which caused her to yell out in pain as her body contorted in a way that no one s ever should. She could feel her arm threatening to break as he pushed further, the pain becoming blinding. 

“You've been very hard to find... A rather ridiculous nuisance as well...” He muttered, only to smirk as she growled again. “Glad I finally found you, now we can put all this mess behind you and get back to the Brotherhood.” He added, only to blink for a moment as she managed to tilt her head, red flaring over her body.

Her mind ran over the fact that she was now alone in the vast wilderness with the one mutant who was strong enough to keep her, the metal Liger, at bay and under control. What the hell was she supposed to do in this situation. She couldn't run, she couldn't fight, what the fuck was she supposed to do? Let him keep her pinned and stationary until they reached their destination, back at the lousy Brotherhood? 

But then, as if on cue again, the snow around Erik flew up into a frenzy and he was whited out. She could feel the stress on her limbs slowly diminishing as he lost sight of her. As the snow died down, he was hit by a huge boulder of snow, causing him to release her completely. Falling to the ground, she rose, only to spot two mutants on the horizon. A woman, floating in mid air effortlessly as if she were a god, and a man, seemingly made entirely out of ice.

Without bothering to ask questions of either of them, she took off at as fast of a run as she could muster into the forest of the States. She was illegal now, but that wasn't the problem, hell, that wasn't even something on her mind. She would have to run for a while with no time to pause, no time to hide away. She would be running for the rest of her life. With Erik on her trail, she would never be able to sit still. 

In just a few short hours, she was at the end of her energy. There was still a bit of strength, but not enough to keep her going. Feeling the snow sticking to her legs and feet, she trudged on despite her strength being little to none. Pushing south, she slowed down immensely one afternoon. 

As she did, she felt a force hit her from out of nowhere, slamming her up against a tree, her body slouching to the ground. Groaning, she rubbed the back of her head and sighed out as the wound slowly began to heal. She couldn't fight in this condition...hell, she could barely heal.

A voice rang out in the bleak white snow, followed by a rather large and husky looking man, only a bit shorter than Victor.

\------------------------------------

“CREED!” His voice roared out in the whiteness around his intended target, lunging at his it with all the strength he could. Before who he thought was Creed could run, he slammed his claws into what was a shoulder and pinned him against the tree, but at his claws lodged there, he heard a feminine yelp of pain. His eyes widened as he pulled his claws from her, the smell of her blood filling the cold air around them.

Looking down before him was a small creature with black and blue locks that touched the ground. That's when the blue eyes looked up at him and he couldn't believe his eyes. “Noelle...?” He had lost the want to be angry and now found himself confused and bewildered. It was as though there was a ghost bleeding before him.

He watched her stare at him for a moment, but it was clear she couldn't tell who he was. He couldn't do anything but gawk at her until she reached up and grabbed his arm with her hand, gripping on to him for dear life. As her wound slowly began to heal she let out a long rough sigh. There had been a surge that had run through him and he could have sworn he'd felt it before. Just as he thought she would stand again, her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the side.

Catching her head before it could hit the ground, he put two fingers to her neck and felt a weak pulse. As he let out a breath, he gently moved the hair from her face, looking her over for a moment. There was something different, something to do with her pixels. As he picked her up slowly and grunted under her weight he remembered that she'd never been that heavy before. 

With another grunt, he put her over her shoulders to fireman carry her through the snow. He'd thought her dead and there she was, in the wilderness and in Creed's coat. His mind wandered back over the feeling that had rushed over him when she'd touched him. There was some point when he'd felt that, but he was almost certain that no two mutants were alike.

After a bit of walking, he reached the car Charles had sent for them and gently lay her in the back seat, looking her over a bit as he did before shutting the door gently. Getting in to the drivers side, he sighed and began to drive, all the while having a mental conversation with Charles that ended just before they pulled up to the mansion gates. He'd let him know just what had happened and who she was. 

Getting out of the car, he opened the back door and grabbed her, holding her bridal style and keeping her close to him as he nudged the door shut. With his jaw set, he carried her up the steps and into the mansion, ignoring the stares as he walked past some of the kids. Once to the elevator, he looked down at her face as the door opened and let out a soft sigh. He didn't remember much about her, but he remembered who she was. 

There was something about her that calmed him, that made he feel a little more whole than he was before. Hearing the doors let out a soft ding, he walked down the long hallway toward a room. Turning the corner, he was met by Jean who nodded toward the bed where he set her down gently. Staring at her for a moment, he wanted so badly for her to be awake. So he could ask her questions...

Putting a hand on his shoulder, Jean could see something stressing the mighty Wolverine. As he turned to look her in the eyes, she tilted her head ever so slightly. “Are you okay, Logan?” Her voice seemed so far away to him, and once he'd broken his stare, he looked back to Noelle for a moment before shaking his head and walking out of the room. He knew Jean would take good care of her, but he was still on edge.

\------------------------------

Opening one of her eyes slowly, she grunted at the bright lights that met her and moved her hand up to hold her head. It was as if a Semi had hit her square on. Taking in the room around her, she could have sworn she was in a hospital somewhere, but as she looked out the door, she saw a hallway that made it look more like a very clean and modern facility. Nothing like where she had been, which meant she was still free from those who hunted her. And there was no screaming or noise, just the occasional whir of the blood pressure cuff. Putting her hand back down, she winced a bit from the dull ache in her shoulder. 

“Hello...?” She called, sitting up in the bed and looking out the door only to hear silence reply. Feeling a tube tug at her, she looked up and spotted an IV bag, she noted that she was on a saline and steroid mix and grunted a bit, shaking her head before letting out a sigh. Then, she noticed the monitor that was attached to her. 

Following it's chords, she noted one on the side of her neck, a few on her chest and back, and one or two on her arm nearest the monitor. By the door, on a table, she saw her clothes that she had been wearing were folded in a nice and neat little stack. Someone had removed all but her underwear from her and the blankets were clinging to her chest. Looking over at her shoulder, she let out a small sigh and closed her eyes, letting the zen come over her as the wounds finished healing. “I'm not that damaged...”

“You've been asleep for three days...” The same gruff voice that had roared out a few days before was now softer and much less violent. It came from a corner that for some reason she hadn't surveyed. There he sat, his familiar blue eyes staring into her eyes from a chair in the corner. 

Getting up slowly, he took a few steps toward her and looked down at her before gently moving a piece of hair from her face. Tilting her head just a bit, she watched the stress fill his eyes. “And you were presumed dead up until those three days ago...”His voice drifted off as he watched her colours come to life, a beautiful deep orange taking over.

Looking up at him, she furrowed her brow and tilted her head the opposite direction, laying back in the bed they'd put her in, the monitor beginning to race as her mind began to try to untangle her past again. Letting out a small cry, she put her hands to her heads in a rush, trying to keep the pain away, but it was of no use. 

As he put a rough hand to her shoulder, one of the threads in her head snapped. Slowly letting go over her head and opening her eyes, she looked back to him and his now worried expression. James...it was James. “James...?” Her question fell upon him and he smirked a little, nodding. 

“James... I... I don't remember anything. I... I don't remember you...” She sighed out, looking up at him from the bed as he leaned over her just a bit before grabbing a small towel from beside her and dabbing the sweat from her forehead. “Only things I can place are what I've learned from being around...Victor..” She felt a small twinge in her heart but ignored it. Looking back to James, she saw him still smirking down at her.

“Don't worry about it, Noelle.” He almost cooed, setting the rag on the tray next to her before walking over to grab her clothes from the table by the door. “We'll get you straightened out as soon as you're feeling better.” He mused, walking back to her to set her clothes next to her on the bed. Looking from the monitor to her, he could hear it freaking out even more. “But for now, I think it's time we unhook you from the monitor so you don't make it explode...” He added, removing the two sensors from the arm and the one from her neck gently. 

Hearing her sigh he looked back up to her face. She looked so tired, but she was still so colourful. “If you sit up, I can take the ones off your back...” He muttered, and as she did, she held the blanket to her and turned ever so slightly. Pulling each one gently, he looked over her back. There were so many more pixels that covered her, they'd begun to appear on her back as well, but only running down over her spine.

Watching him in a mirror, she couldn't help but smile a little at just how gentle he was being. She hadn't seen him in so long, at least that's what she remembered the most. She still couldn't quite place him. The want to ask him was growing, but it was such a pleasant moment, someone joking with her, taking care of her... 

Something she truly wasn't used to. When he looked at her she felt something down in her stomach, much like butterflies. An ear perked as he heard her heart skip and beat and she cursed the machinery after she heard him chuckle. Just why she felt it, she wasn't sure.

“You know... If you like it here, there's an empty room Charles has prepared for you... Y'know, if you want to stay.” He stated, moving to take her hand in his gently, pulling the IV from her and watching the spot where it had been disappearing the instant it was removed, as if it had never been there at all. 

That was new too, her abilities had always been faster than both him and Victor, but never instantaneous. Raising a brow, he thought for a minute before shrugging. “You could even just stay for a few days and rest up.” He added, watching her colours surge some as he spoke. Watching her tilt her head, she moved to look up at him which caused him to let out another chuckle, a lighter one this time. 

A bit of pink mixed in with the orange as she seemed to pout just a bit, crossing her arms over her chest, and then she smiled a bit as she spoke. “What's so funny?” Her words just seemed to roll from her without any contemplation. Normally she would have thought about her reaction, but it was almost just natural with him. It was weird to go from being scared to say the wrong thing to feeling free to do just about anything. It was nice to be so carefree, or was it careless? 

“I forgot just how colourful you could be...” He mused, taking a step back as he nodded out the door as someone passed by, but they didn't stop. “Charles, or The Professor, as the kids call him, owns this facility and the mansion above us. I've been staying here for a while now. It's not a bad place to hide when Erik is on your tail...” He added, only for her to tilt her head which caused him to let out yet another chuckle. He was laughing at her so much and it made the pink on her worse. “The staff here teaches young mutants core classes as well as how to control their powers... Two of the staff here rescued you from Erik before I found you.”

“You know... I was in the Brotherhood house for all of a day, met him once, and instantly wanted him dead...” Noelle stated before shaking her head as she pulled the sensors that were still attached to her chest, yanking them off without a care. He'd been gentle and she was quite rough. 

Grabbing her bra, she stopped for a moment and looked at James who was looking at her. “James...” She stated, only for him to tilt his head. “James... I have to get dressed.” She added, only to let out a small laugh of her own as he shook his head and walked from the room, shutting the door a little as he stood outside, apparently standing guard.

Moving to the edge of the bed, she looked about and then looked down at her rather tattered clothes. But then, that would happen with weeks of running out in the blustery snow. Pulling each piece back on, she pulled what little gear she had back on and stood up, walking over to Victor's jacket and picking it up. Looking down at the table as she took a deep breath. Everything was clean... How kind. But then a small folded up piece of paper caught her attention and she knew immediately what it was. 

Picking it up, she shoved it in her own pocket. She would let this...Charles...read it when she finally had some one on one time with him. Looking out the doorway, she peeked out the door and looked at him for a moment, her eyes running over the features of his face. Letting out a small whistle, she laughed as he jumped and then turned to her, tilting his head.

Looking at her now dressed, he couldn't help but notice just how much she had changed. She'd gone from looking like a mad Harlequin to looking rather sleek and commanding. “You've changed so much since the last time I saw you... Not at all the mad little creature you used to be.” He mused, watching as she put a hand on her hip. “I can't imagine what you've been through in the last few decades...” He added in a mutter before gesturing toward the hallway, beckoning her to walk with him, and she did, her arms crossing over her chest.

“There are things you don't know about me now James...” There was a bit of blue that rolled over her as she looked down at the floor with a somber look. “Things I don't think I'll ever let anyone know if I don't have to...” So much pain... Her words were curt and she couldn't help but let her hands and eyes begin to tinge red at the memories. 

Her rage at all they had done to her, all those years in a tiny cell behind bars that even she couldn't bend... There would always been some part of her that was fueled by the anger, some part of her that would yearn for revenge no matter how much time passed.

He looked to her as they walked, only looking down slightly as they were near the same height. His eyes had locked on hers, watching the anger fill her expression. She was right, there were things he didn't know about her. In time, he hoped, she would let him in again and tell him just why there was so much anger behind her eyes. 

But with a nod, he stopped outside the elevator and pushed a button, calling it. As the doors parted, they both stepped in and the doors closed before the lift jerked to life. Her colours had begun to swirl again as her thoughts rushed about in her head, and then...silence.

'Good evening Noelle. Or would you rather it be Liger?' This voice was new, not a memory or an implanted moment, and the voice was similar to Erik's but much more pleasant and kind. And as she looked around, she noticed there weren't speaker for it to be coming from. 

'Thank you, I appreciate the comment.' It stated, seeming to be rather happy to have been distinguished from Erik in such a way. She was only being honest. Erik had sounded so cold and commanding the few times she had seen him, and here this new voice was speaking to her with some sort of respect she hadn't even earned yet.

“Noelle...” She muttered to herself aloud before looking at James whom she expected to look at her like she was crazy, but he just smirked over at her with a knowing look in his eyes.

“He does this all the time. It's how we all keep up with him. You'll get used to it.” James whispered to her, smirking a bit before looking back to the doors as they opened. As he began out, Noelle followed on his heels, not wanting to get lost or separated. That would be a breaking point for her today. 

Looking about, she noticed the change in scenery. Instead of solid white walls, there were cherry coloured planks lining the floor and walls, with beautiful paintings and lovely decor. The furniture made everything look even more homely.

'Well then, Noelle, welcome to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.' The voice stated, a smile evident as it spoke. 'I'm rather happy to see you've decided to give us a chance and join us for a stay.' However sweet the voice was, it still had no name to it. While pleasant, the fact that there was no one behind it was making her feel like the madness was creeping back in. 'Ah, yes. Forgive me. You're not going crazy. My name is Professor Charles Xavier and this is my institute for people just like you...' He stated, rather matter-of-factually.

'There are no others like me...' She thought, a low rumble building in her chest which caused James to stop and look over his shoulder with a bit of a frown. Shaking her head, she gestured for him to continue and spurred him on. Once they were moving again, she focused back on her own thoughts. 'There's no one like me...' She thought again, a quick flash of the chamber crossing her mind. She was intent to argue her point, that was, until the voice spoke again.

'Ah, but there are Noelle, all you have to do is simply look in front of you... You are not alone in this place, you see, James shares your experience.' His voice and it's words caused her to furrow her brow and look him over as she kept moving. She wanted so badly to stop and break down, grabbing her head as a memory threatened to come to light. 

A whole new world of questions flooded her mind, almost seeming to drown out Charles all together until he spoke again. 'I know that the pain is great, but if you'll only talk to him... He has stories to share, if you'll only let him in...' Her heart began to race as she thought of him going through what she had. 'I'll see you tomorrow, until then... Try to stay calm.” And with that his voice was gone and her head was busy with her own thoughts again. 

As she got lost in her own mind, her colours swirling, she continued on at the same pace, only to run in to James' rather broad back with a small 'oomph'. He had stopped just outside a room that was very basic once she peeked in. A bed, a vanity, and a dresser. Better than the tree house, or the Brotherhood. Stepping in to the room a bit, she continued to look around, only to stop as she heard his footsteps beginning to lead away. Turning around in almost a panic, she hurried to the doorway and looked both ways and stopped when she spotted him. 

“James... Wait!” She called, almost frantically, which caused him to stop mid step and back track, looking at her with concern in his eyes. “Can I... Can I talk to you for a minute...?” Her voice seemed a tad metallic in her panic which caught his attention while simultaneously hurting his ears quite a bit. 

Noting the new sounds from her, he nodded and walked in to her room, sitting down in the chair at what was now her desk with a confused look. “Charles...said you're just like me...” She stated rather slowly, moving to sit down on the edge of the bed. She didn't even let her colours change as she spoke. She became impossible to read.

“Noelle, what the hell does that even mean? How could you be like me...? I mean, I know Liger and your strengths. But to be just like you... The only way to end up this way...is..to...”His voice had begun to strain at the last word, and as he looked to her, his eyes widened as the thought finished itself in his head. 

A small fire began to build in his chest as he rose from the chair and began to walk over to her, his eyes glued to hers. That happening to her wasn't okay. She wasn't supposed to be that way. Not her. She was strong enough on her own, without help. His thoughts were jarred when he heard her let out a small sob, her form hitching as she tried to breath.

Her pixels flushed blue as her hands moved up to cover her face and hide her sadness. But as she felt his eyes upon her, she sobbed freely. She'd never spoken to anyone about it, not even Victor. And she was terrified to speak to James for some reason, finding herself afraid that he might look at her differently. 

Slowly, she managed to stifle her sobs and look out from under her blue hair at him. He was staring down at her, almost angrily, and she wasn't sure if it was aimed at her or what had happened to her. In a bit of a rush, she grabbed the paper from her back pocket and handed it to him.

Taking the small folded paper from her, he unfolded it and looked down at it with a furrowed brow. Slowly his eyes ran over all the experiments, all the tortures, and her own jotted notes as well. Looking up from the paper to her, he looked over her face which was now mostly covered with pixels. And each of her eyes seemed to swirl on it's own. Looking back to the paper he saw the notes about shock therapy and let a low growl rumble from his chest. Her voice broke the silence as she spoke softly amid the hick ups from crying so much.

“They kept me there for so many years James... In some little hole in a cave.” Just when she thought she could handle it, she couldn't anymore and began sobbing again. There wasn't a way to control the pain after someone else had learned about it. She was so much more exposed. 

“They starved me... They...they made me an animal. So many tests...” She hid her face from him again after seeing his eyes widen at what she had said. She was waiting for the judgment to come from him, but just as she heard him move, she was surprised to see that it was towards her instead of away.

He felt chills flush over him, and without thinking, he sat down next to her and moved her vibrantly blue hair from her face, locking eyes with her. He conveyed so much more sadness than Victor ever had. With Victor, it was only as if he could muster sympathy... But James... His eyes were full of understanding and empathy, like he was reliving every horrible moment with her. 

Pulling her close, he held her small frame against his and, without thinking, held her head to his heart gently. She heard him let out a rough, almost shaky sigh, and instinctively buried herself into his chest, her arms gripping him tightly as her sobs continued, now almost uncontrollably. There was no where to hide the pain anymore, no secrets to be had. And thought she had no scars on the surface, her soul would be forever be maimed by what they had done to her and her humanity.

“Noelle... I'm so sorry. How... How did they get a hold of you...?” He asked, running his fingers through her hair gently as he did, calming her only slightly. “You were an asset to the team without being tortured like this...” He added, his eyes wet, and though no tear fell, she cold hear the sadness and rage fighting for his voice. She was surprised that he was showing his emotions so freely to her. He couldn't help but wonder just what had happened that the universe felt so inclined to ruin her in such a way.

She tried to compose herself but it was too hard to breathe and her mind was locked on one subject so clearly that she couldn't focus on anything else. She wanted to blame him solely, but after learning the truth, she couldn't. So she would have to speak and make sure that the words that needed to come out did. And once she had begun to speak, the words were clear as day to James. 

“Stryker...sent Victor...” Was all she could manage before she began to clutch at her own chest, trying to breath. Without warning, she rose from the bed and ripped Victor's jacket to shreds in a fit of rage. As the rage subsided, she saw the rather bewildered look on James face and fell to her knees in front of him, landing with a rather hard thud which reminded him of her weight and the metallic ring in her voice.

Attempt to withhold his rage, James looked down at the small crumpled mess on the floor before him and moved from the bed to squat down in front of her, lifting her chin up gently with a finger as his eyes locked on hers, conveying nothing but seriousness at that point. And when he spoke, his voice cause a shiver to run up her body and her mind cleared for a moment. 

“Noelle...” He rumbled, only for the noise to grow into a growl as he spoke again, his eyes narrowed. “What else did they do?” His voice was low as he brought up his hand. 

Three metal claws protruded from where she had once known him to have bone claws. He watched her eyes widen and then watched her look down at her own hands. Following her gaze, he watched silver overtake her pixels, her fingers slowly turning to metal claws. 

Then, she looked up at him and used a normal finger to pull her cheek to the side. As he watched her fangs grow, he saw the glint from them. Silver too. And then he watched her close her eyes and frown a bit as she tried to concentrate. Metal spines slowly protruded from her arms and her spine.

He felt himself hit his knees and, once his claws had retracted, pulled her against him again, sitting with her in the middle of the floor as she shook against him. Neither one was alone anymore. No longer one of a kind. But it was bittersweet to not be so alone. No one deserved to go through such things, and she had been through so much more than he had. Eventually, once his heartbeat had calmed her, her sobs stopped and turned in to sniffles. Moving some of her hair from her face, he watched her look up at him. A sense of peace seemed to overtake the room as they looked at one another.


	7. Memories and Starting Anew

The silence that blanketed them broken once she finally decided to speak again.

“James...” She asked softly, to which he only 'hmm-ed' in response. “Is there any way... I mean... Can I stay with you tonight...?” She was meek and her body was still embedded against him, her ear still to his chest. She didn't want to let go now that she had found a bit of peace. She didn't want to move from her spot. 

There was something about being in his arms that was so much different than when Victor had held her. When she was with James there was a sense of belonging, not trying to fit in. He was so much more different than Victor, and in all the right ways.

Looking down at her, he smirked a bit and shrugged gently. “I don't see why not...” He whispered back, smiling inwardly to himself for the first time in a while. “Let's go, it's just down the hall...” He added, standing up slowly before offering his hand to help her up. As she placed hers in his, he watched a bit of pink flash over her. 

With a gentle chuckle, he turned and kicked the torn jacket to the side as the began out of the room. Shutting the door behind them, they headed down the long and surprisingly quiet hall and came to the last room on the right. As he opened the door, she stepped in and watched him shut the door and lock it.

Waiting for him to move over to the bed, she watched as he strode over to it and sat down, nodding to her as she moved and then sat next to him, not wanting to rush and force herself into the situation. Nor did she want to put him off to the idea. 

As he lay back on the bed, he pulled her over and let out a low, rumbling sigh. It made her so damn happy on the inside to be held like that. Once comfortable, she rested her head in the nook of his shoulder and looked up at him out from under her purple hair, one eye a solid purple as the other let a bit of a magenta colour in to it. 

“Thank you...” She smiled a bit before letting out a yawn.

\---------------------------

Chuckling gently, he pulled the top blanket over them and kept his arm around her as he began to relax. She nuzzled into him and he let out a soft sigh, slightly betraying himself. Here he'd thought her dead and now here she was, in his arms. Although she smelled of Victor a bit, it was nothing he couldn't overlook. 

She was like him now, and while it gave him some solace to know he wasn't alone anymore, it also infuriated him to know that Stryker had gotten his way again. That he had gone so far as to ruin her. It maddened him even more to know that Victor had done nothing there to stop it. And that he wasn't there to stop it himself.

He felt a bit of sadness tug at him but shrugged it off and looked down at her, smirking as she began to fall asleep and her breathing evened out. There were so many questions he had for her, bits he didn't know about or remember. Like the hole... 

He'd never been there before, but it sounded like hell... And no one should hold those memories to themselves. Especially not damaging memories like those. He'd never gone through what she had because he had agreed to go with Stryker on his own. He was escorted, not taken.

Running his fingers through her hair, he felt like he needed some sort of permission just to touch her. He wasn't sure why, just like she couldn't place him he wasn't sure why his mind was thinking in such a way. Normally with a woman such as her he would have been bold and brazen. But with her... 

He wanted to unlock their memories together. Maybe when she was to see Charles he should join her, make sure nothing went wrong... He was aware they had a past, though the most he could remember was a bit of Africa and her heading off for a vacation alone. He had lost track of her after that. And to find out... He shook his head and looked down at her sleeping form.

The thoughts had been rushing through his head for hours, trying to piece together just who she was to him and why he felt the way he did. But once the thoughts had settled he realized that he, too, couldn't place her. It was like they were strangers and yet so familiar. 

As he frowned a bit, he found himself kissing the top of her head softly, secretly hoping she was deep enough to sleep that she wouldn't notice, but he felt her stir and saw her eyes peering up at him, a pink-ish purple appearing over her cheeks and swirling in her eyes. He felt like there was something familiar about the colour, and it was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't remember.

“I'm so sorry...” He whispered down to her, moving her bangs from her face as he watched the colours shift from their purple-ish colour to a red-ish blue. He knew those colours to be sadness and anger and he knew them well. In that moment she was so small and defenseless. Nothing like the Liger he had once known who would never show such emotions.

He temporarily forgot just how vicious a thing she was when she was agitated. He wanted to apologize for not being there, but he didn't know she was there. And yet, he found himself speaking the words anyway. “I'm sorry I wasn't there to help...” He added, running his fingers over her cheek softly.

“You didn't do this to me James... You would never do something so horrid.” She replied sleepily, the purple once again appearing, replacing the red and blue swirls. Peace and happiness he knew that colour to be. It was the one he most preferred on her. 

“Only Victor and Stryker could be so callous...so cruel..” She whispered. And she meant what she said. She knew that Victor had killed Bradley and Wraith. Two men that she had grown to know as family. Like the brothers she never had. And now they were dead by Victor's hand.

“And we will hurt them...” James muttered before hesitantly running his fingers through her hair again, a calm settling over the small, wounded creature that was cuddled up to him. When she didn't move, he let his fingers get tangled a bit and remain there. “They'll pay. Victor for his betrayal and Stryker for ruining the beautiful creature you were...” As his fingers clenched in her hair, he felt them relax as she let out a snort and shot him a look out from under her hair again, her expression rather flat. “Not that you're not beautiful now...” He added with a smirk. “Fish...”

He watched her smile groggily up at him and felt her nuzzle in to his shoulder, a hand resting gently upon his chest, just over his heart. That was enough to keep her calm through the night and help her sleep. Himself, however... His mind had decided to run over the list of things they had done to her while she was gone. 

It was barbaric to do such things to people. Tortures that had only been conducted in asylums and camps. She'd been through so much in her short time away. It was just a bit of her life and yet it was enough to wear her out. Eventually, his mind decided to let him have peace and sleep.

\---------------------------

It had been so long she she'd slept so well.

In the morning, she found no good reason to move. They had both remained in almost the same positions all night, their arms tangled around one another and his face was in her hair. Her consciousness was content to just stay where she was, that is, until James took a deep breath and stretched, attempting to move from the bed without waking her. But he failed. She groaned and he looked down at her as he sat up on the edge of the bed, a smirk on his face. Standing, he let out a low rumble as he stretched again. He caught her admiring him and smirked again.

“Why...do you have to get up so early in the morning...?” She asked, without moving a muscle, her arms wrapped around his pillow. Her colours were just a tad orange with her question and as she pulled the blanket back up on her a bit, she nuzzled into his pillow, taking a deep breath as she kept her eyes locked on him. He was striking to her, a specimen that was so rare. He was so kind, so sweet, and yet...such a rough man.

“Because I have responsibilities around here that require me to live like a normal human being. A routine of sorts, if you will.” He chuckled some to himself before looking back at her, knowing her reaction to his next statement would be something she would mock for a while. 

And he expected this from her on occasion. It would be nice to have her poking fun at him again. It was something that had once bothered him a bit, but over the years he had grown to miss it. “I run the combat training with the runts down in the Danger Room.”

Having closed her eyes, she opened one and lifted an eyebrow before popping her head up on her hand, her hair spilling all over his bed and falling from her shoulder. “They trust you,” She pointed at him lazily, “- with small children that are bound to annoy you...?” Her voice was monotone and she thought for a moment only to let out a laugh which turned in to a storm of giggles and snorts. The idea of him trying to teach a bunch of children was more than entertaining. It was something she had to see.

“First off, they're not small children and some of them would even give you a run for your money. Second off, don't even give me crap about it. You'll be down in the Danger Room before you know it and then we'll see who has the last laugh.” He growled at her with a smirk, moving over to his dresser to grab a change of clothes for the day, looking back at her, he couldn't help but smile inwardly as she looked a bit taken aback, but he could tell the challenge had been accepted. She would challenge him one day and it would be a bout for the ages. 

Sighing out, Noelle looked at her clothes and then looked out the door. She let out a stretch, much like a cat, before getting up out of the bed and making it. Once she was content with it, she looked about his room and threw the dirty clothes she could find in to a corner. 

Stopping herself, she laughed a bit before opening the door to his room and peeking out of it. She was absolutely confounded by the sight before her. There were no mutants in cages here, instead, they were all up and running around like kids getting ready for a day at school. 

As she tilted her head, watching the various faces rush by, one face stopped and smiled at her. She had time to notice that the girl must have been in her teens and had a high set ponytail and a genuine happiness about her. But before she could say anything, the girl waved and smile against before disappearing through a wall across the hall. Noelle thought she must've been going crazy. She'd never seen a mutant do that before.

Just as she reached her door, she stopped and took a deep breath. There was another pleasant smell in this house besides his smell. Slouching a bit, she walked down the hall and down the stairs into a large living area that shared a space with a large kitchen. The counters were lined with an assortment of food, practically everything related to breakfast. 

“Mmm... Bacon...” She grumbled, walking over to the counter and taking a piece, munching on it as she sighed out happily. “Mmph... Best bacon ever...” She growled and as she grabbed another piece, she heard a familiar voice ring out and echo about the kitchen. It wasn't in her head this time and that was a relief to her. She had enough voices running about loose in there as it was.

“You might ought to get a plate. And do leave a fair amount for the rest of the house.” Charles suggested, rolling over to the counter in his chair. He took a plate for himself and added a few pieces of toast, some eggs, and half an orange to his plate, setting it in his lap, he watched Noelle build her own plate, her eyes never leaving him. He wasn't quite what she had expected. He didn't look near as old as Erik had and he was much better kept. Watching her grab a glass of orange juice, he smiled up at her.

“You're not...what I expected.” She stated, her brow furrowing as her mouth pulled in one direction. She loaded her own plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and a few pancakes on top of it all. She was starting and the smell of the food alone was making her stomach growl. “But in a way, you look like what I expected... A tad younger though.” She added, smiling down a bit as he let out a soft laugh.

“I'm never what anyone expects. Although, like you, I wasn't always this way. Used to be able to stand you know.” He smiled as his voice trailed off. Turning toward the hallways that lead to the elevator, her eyes followed him as he began to disappear. “Join be for breakfast?” He called, a smile in his voice as he heard her catching up with him and following him through the halls to the elevator. 

Once on it, she just watched him and it looked as if he were far off. Maybe he was talking to someone? Exiting to the vast second floor, she followed him to his office and almost dropped her jaw at the gorgeous double doors.

Once he had pushed the doors open, Noelle's jaw really did drop at the interior of the room. Taking a few steps in, she looked at all the bookshelves and the desks that surrounded his own. Even James was there! Wait... Her eyes went back to him and she tilted her head as she chowed down on one of the pancakes, raising a brow in questioning. He was sitting at a huge oak desk that was so neatly kept. And all the books on the wall were quite scholarly in nature. 

Sitting in the seat next to James, she began to eat her other pancake and a bit of eggs as she watched Charles wheel behind his desk and begin to eat as well. After a few bites, she looked at James who was staring at her with a raised brow, just watching her eat. It made her a bit self conscious but Charles simple gave him a look and then put his fork down once he'd finished his plate, smiling at Noelle before turning to James.

“I see you've decided to join us, Logan.” Charles smiled at James who nodded, but when his attention turned back to Noelle, he saw her head tilted at a ridiculous angle. Stifling his own laugh, Charles let out a smile to her. “Ah, yes. Noelle, James goes by Logan among the mutants here. Only those related to Stryker know him as James.” She kind of snorted and the looked at James who just rolled his eyes before speaking, his voice calming.

“I figure I should be on stand by in case something goes wrong. We have a tendency to be a bit violent when we're unlocked...” His voice was calm and very matter of fact. Charles thought for a moment, his mind obviously running over James' words before nodding, agreeing that it was more than a good idea to have someone to help should things go wrong. “Besides...something's different.” He added low, his eyes avoiding Noelle's as he spoke again. He wanted to explain, but his mind was racing.

“I see... Well. If she's ready...” Charles turned to Noelle and smiled at her gently. “Noelle, I believe I can help with that tangled mess they've left you in. If you're willing to try, I can see if I'm able to help at all... But I must warn you, it's not a pleasant experience. Logan can vouch for that.” He nodded to James who nodded in agreement with a slight look of discontent. She watched Charles fold his hands on his desk and look at her with an almost fatherly look, his head tilted a little as he smiled at her softly. “Are you sure you want answers...?” His question was met by a swirl of colours.

With a deep, shaky breath, she looked up at him and nodded, her colours burning orange as she did.

“Very well then. My young, unique Noelle, let us begin...” He stated, which caused her to tense a bit. But she stood and moved to the chair that was now in front of him, almost holding her breath until he reached for her, causing her to jump. “Just relax...as much as you can...” He whispered before slowly placing two fingers to each of her temples. 

Without warning there was some type of surge and her mind was forced through a maze of scenes from her past. Little did Charles know, she'd unconsciously grabbed James' arm when he'd touched her and he was watching her life before him.

The first flash brought back the memory of being a very small child, clinging to her mother and then with another flash she was standing over her mother's dead body, her little hands clenched in fists of rage. Her father was standing in the doorway, drunkenly apologizing for what he'd done. That's the moment in which she had changed. 

It wasn't brought on by age, but by a tragic event. Launching herself at him, the teeth, the colours...the blood. It was so long ago and she was screaming something in Japanese. The little child was in a fit of rage, tearing her father apart as revenge for him taking her beautiful mother from her.

Then, without warning, she was thrown into another time, but this time she looked more like a man, not her usual self. And her outfit... She was standing with James and Victor, bullshitting about something and they all began to laugh. The Liger, The Sabretooth, and the Wolverine... They were a force to be reckoned with. 

There was also a flash of some woman named Clara Barton who had kept her secret from the general until the end of the war. Her mind raced. She was so much older than she thought, and yet, she looked so young. But then again, the other two were about her age as well and they looked just as young. They were some of the oldest... And the deadliest.

With another flash, it was World War I. But she was speaking a different language. After a moment she recognized it as Russian. And her outfit. She was wearing war gear...was she... She was a Cossack. The weapon, the outfit, the medals. 

She was just a bit older this time, and as she saw James' face she was pushed in to World War II where something was said about stopping the Luftwaffe. One of the only female fighter pilots of the war, and she was a dog fighter. One of the best, judging by all the marks on her plane. And then a scene with someone familiar. He held her hand, smiling at her in his own way. A Canadian special agent.

“James!” She shouted, ripping herself from Charles and falling to the floor, her hand clamping down on James' arm tight as her mind ran in such disarray. But the flashbacks didn't stop once Charles had released his mental grip on her. Instead, she found herself in Vietnam, a rebel by her choice of clothing...until Stryker found her and offered someone “special” like her a place on a very particular team of mercenaries. 

But that memories blurred in to nothing as her mind chose to replay the night before she had left for her “vacation”. She watched the two of them dancing in the living room, felt the pain of watching him take off...

Then, as if to punch her in the gut once more, her mind ran over the day she had decided to return home to James. The smell of Victor, the sound of the shot ringing out in the dead silence of winter. His shadow lumbering toward her and the steps he'd taken away from her. The pain of the bullet in her chest was causing her to wheeze as the years of the catacombs gripped her, the sounds of screams, 23, the chamber, the procedure. All the terror, torture, and pain... But it was so rushed, all one blur.

Chills ran through her and before she knew it, she let out a loud metallic scream as her hand let go to of James and both clamped down on her head as she shook it back and forth, trying to make the pain go away. It was so blinding this time. 

The noise carried over the campus and there was the sudden sense that everyone had hit the floor in one way or another, gripping their ears and looking around wildly. James let out a gasp and grunt. As much as the sound hurt, he grabbed her from the floor and pulled her close, putting her ear to his chest, taking deep breaths to keep his heart beat calm and rhythmic.

Slowly, the constant beating of his heart penetrated the mess that was her mind and her voice gave out, turning in to sobs of pain as she held on to him as if her life depended on it. After a moment, she stopped and looked up at him with terror in her eyes, her colours swirling orange and black, blurring as she tried to get her head straight and calm. “James...?” Her brow was furrowed and she looked as though she'd just been through it all again. Grabbing him, she dug in to his back, holding tight as the tears ran down her cheeks again. She was such a mess.

Charles composed himself and after closing his eyes, let out a statement, his voice ringing through the whole house and the facility below, almost like a P.A. system. 'Things are fine, just a slight problem but nothing to be worried about. Although, those with close combat today will now report to Poitr instead of Logan.'

And with that, he turned to James with a rather serious expression. “She needs you now more than ever... And hopefully, in due time, you'll realize the same could be said for you with her...” And that was it from Charles who'd obviously had no idea that Noelle had added him to the session.

Picking her up gently, he carried her out to the balcony for some fresh air and to hopefully regain at least some bit of her composure. He remembered just how agonizing it was to be unlocked. As he set her down on the bench, something clicked in his mind. 

Putting a hand against her back for support, he held her close to keep her from wavering back and forth, her arms still attached to him as best they could. She didn't, or couldn't, let go. Moving her bangs from her face, he let out a small sigh. “It's not fun... Is it?” He asked softly, his voice gruff, breaking the silence that plagued her.

“I can't believe I've known you for so long...” She whispered back, looking at him as though she were going to cry again, her orange mixing with blue over her pixels. She leaned toward his hand as it moved her hair only to sigh as he pulled it back. 

There were so many times, so many lives lived. And she wanted to ask him questions, but as she looked down, something caught her eyes. There, on his arm, were residual pixels lingering. Pointing to them slowly, she tilted her head. 

“I... I think I'm contagious.” She half joked.

Looking down at his arm, he dusted at the pixels but they persisted, which caused them to turn red with frustration. He heard her snort and giggle a bit. Looking from his arm to her, he glared at her as she continued to giggle. He didn't like being so opaque. 

Just as he was about to yell at her, her memory of World War II flashed in his mind again and his temporary pixels swirled to land on magenta, much like her eyes had the night before. He couldn't place the colour then, but he quickly came to realize just what it was. Love.

“James... Why do you have pixels?” She asked, tilting her head and raising a brow. She honestly didn't remember anything from the room as her mind was being untangled. The only reason he could have her pixels was if she had touched him for a prolonged period of time. 

It had happened to Victor once when she'd been having a nightmare and was latched on to him. With that realization, her eyes widened as she looked up to him, her heart pounding in her ears. “You saw. You saw it all.” She stated, a look of panic rushing over her features. She wanted to run.

He looked at her expression with confusion and then grumbled at his temporary pixels as they changed to orange an a bit of blue, expressing his thoughts without his permission once more. If he could have scrubbed them off he would have. He hated being a human mood ring. 

He looked back to her and nodded slowly, putting her hand where the pixels stained his skin. It was a perfect match. And then the confusion was replaced with some other emotion. He found himself pulling her in tight and holding her close. 

“If I had ever known you'd been through that much in your life...” He whispered, almost in a rush, his voice rough and it sounded almost as if he were about to lose it himself. But she felt one heave of his chest and gripped his shirt tight. There was a reason being against him was so calming. They'd been together for so long. He had questions for her, but they had the entire day to themselves to start figuring things out.

Slowly, she released her grip and looked up at him, her mind running over the memories of them. She was able to block out Victor, although now that she knew everything it made sense why being with him had felt so wrong. Looking back down to his arm, she noticed the pixels were disappearing a few at a time, the magenta that rushed them filled them until they were all gone. 

That's when he looked down as well, the first question to be asked coming to light as she looked back up to him and they locked eyes. As he was about to speak her name, one of her memories hit him like a ton of bricks.

“Chisana...” He almost whispered, and as he did, her pixels flew out of control and slowly settled on a bright magenta. “Chisana.” Speaking more confidently this time, he looked down at her with a curious glint in his eyes and his head tilted only slightly. “Why did I have pixels?” His voice was calm, but curious as he rubbed the spot where they had been vigorously. It itched. 

“I mean, that shouldn't be able to happen. Unless you really are contagious.” He smirked a bit and she found herself relieved that he still wanted something to do with her. She had expected him to walk away at any moment. Victor would have. But then again, James was nothing like Victor. At all. “And come to think of it, back in the forest, when I mistook you for Creed... What did you do then?”

Letting out a rough sigh, she looked down at her hands and then back to him. “I believe you call the real deal Rogue.” Chi muttered, looking down at her hands and sighing heavily. “I wasn't just subject to what was written on that paper. Stryker had decided to let his doctor there try splicing genes with mine... Didn't remember until now. But as it turns out, adamantium and mutant DNA are good dancing partners...” 

Shaking her head, she looked up at him as he nodded a bit. “But, I can control just how much I take and give...most of the time. I don't always need skin contact either. Your healing just happened to be very useful with me being in such a weak state...” She added, looking up at him in hopes he would understand. 

Letting out a grunt, he nodded a bit, obviously irritated at the mention of the things that had happened to her. “So, you can do that with any mutant?” He asked, his question seeming a bit out there until Chi finally had a thought and before he knew it, her voice was in his head. 'You don't have to apologize for not saving me... And you've always been so handsome...' He twitched a bit and had to maintain to keep his claws from producing at the invasion of privacy, although it was reassuring that she didn't blame him.

“Sometimes the powers even stick for a little while...” She thought out loud, before realizing she'd done so, which caused him to raise an eyebrow, but he would ask about that later. “Why do you ask such a question?” She looked up at him out from under her now orange hair, her eyes a bit wider with curiosity. There was something he was up to but she wasn't sure just what. From the questions he was asking, it was bound to be interesting.

“I think I might have found the perfect co-teacher for my combat class...” He mused, looking her over and smirking at her, his eyes alight with the idea. “Once you're mentally back on your feet, I wouldn't mind your help. It'd be a good lesson, giving the kids a dose of their own medicine, maybe even get some of the staff involved.” He continued his plans for her and she smiled before slowly rising to stand, only to fall back to the bench, the dizziness hitting her hard. 

“Take it easy...” He crooned, standing up and helping her up from the bench. “Let's go sit for a minute, somewhere quieter maybe..?” His suggestion made her look to him with a smile. A chance to be alone without fear or terror. A chance to relax and just talk with him... She nodded and they both walked back to her room, sitting down on her bed she looked over to him, her eyes simply lingering.

“I wasn't kidding....” She muttered, a pink colour swirling over her pixels. She was going to avoid his eyes until she heard him chuckle. It made her heart warmer to just to hear a noise from him. Like him just being in the room and knowing his heart was beating near hers would be enough for her to survive. Looking up to his eyes, she felt him smiling without really smiling and let out a light laugh.

“Well, from the bits and pieces I saw, we've had quite a run...” His voice was low and as he realized the conversation they were having, he got up and shut the door before sitting back down next to her. Looking her over, his eyes lingered on her eyes before he looked away a bit. 

Then the awkward silence, like two shy children sitting next to each other. He wasn't the type to pick on her, just to avoid contact or her gaze. Taking a small breath, he looked back to her and began to speak again. “Maybe eventually - ” He'd begun when without warning she'd hurriedly placed her lips to his.

She had to see if I still felt the way it had in the memory. And it did, to her, but as soon as she figured this out, her body tensed, the realization of what she'd just done hitting her. Without asking, without being prompted. It was such a violation of her thoughts and the way she behaved to do such a thing. But before she could move away and shove him hastily out the door, she heard him sigh and even heard his heart beat pick up. He'd enjoyed it. 

He pulled back from her and tilted his head a bit before kissing her this time, without warning, his lips pressed to hers in a bit of a rush. Feeling her kiss back, he felt a hand on his cheek with the lightest touch. She was so graceful, even with her weight, unlike himself. He'd become clumsy. Moving a hand up to her neck, he gently pulled her closer, both parting their lips to let their tongues dance together in lost passion. They were dynamic. 

Eventually, she slowly pulled back from him and let out a shaky sigh, a smile playing over her features and magenta rushing over her body as the dizziness took over her again, but this time from the rush of his kiss. She watched his eyes as they traveled her face, lingering on her lips for a moment before settling on her eyes again. It was clear that there was definitely something buried in the past between them and it was resurfacing with every moment they spent together. 

“Chisana...” He almost purred, moving his hand to her cheek, brushing it with a fingers as he watched the pixels trail pink after it with a smirk. “I'm sorry I couldn't stop them...” His facial expression had fallen as he spoke, but he had to say what he had to say and she was aware of that. 

“I should have never let you go on your own. I should have stayed home instead of leaving...” His voice was quieter now and his hand was beginning to fall from her cheek until she put her hand over his and put her forehead to his chin. 

“You had no way of knowing, James... Stryker is good at planning things in a very strategic way...” Her voice was just as quiet as his and she felt as though she sounded like a totally different person, her words being a bit different then how she would have spoken before. Stryker had been strategic. He'd sent a false source to James and separated the two of them without a problem. 

“None of this could have been stopped. He would have found a way to separate us or just waited us out... I mean... They found a way to kill Wraith. And to kill Bradley...” She felt the blue overtake her as she pulled back a bit to look up at him, a solitary tear rolling down her cheek.

A memory ran through her mind of attempting to catch Wraith one of the days he'd stolen her lunch from her, laughing all the while as he flashed in and out of their plane. She could remember his laugh, and his gentle smile, and then Bradley's voice broke the silence. He was such a dork when he spoke but he was so smart and sweet, so much like the younger brother she'd never had.

“I know... I found that out the hard way. It's no wonder Dukes went off the deep end.” James muttered before kissing her forehead softly, a thumb wiping away her tear. “I know you miss them too...” He added, hugging her to him as he remember a small bit of Africa when her and Bradley were giving each other hell and Wraith had even joined in. There was so much shared pain between the two of them, but it wasn't deafening; it opened up more routes to conversation. A way for them to connect deeper.

“More than miss...” She shook her head a bit and leaned against him. “Bradley was so sweet...” She mused, s small smile crossing her face. “Victor didn't know it, but there was a point when I'd seen too much from his past. He was so cruel, with such an insatiable lust for violence... I even saw you two as children.” She had frowned but it had changed to that of a smile again as she looked back up at him. “You were so cute when you were little.” She grinned and scrunched her nose up a bit only to hear him grumble before she stuck out her tongue.

With a thought, she reached into her back pocket of her pants and pulled out an incredibly old and yet well taken care of photo. Holding it in front of herself, just where James could see, she stared at it. Victor, her, and James, all buddy buddy and smiling with their arms around one another. They were all happy back then, even during the war... Looking up at James, she smiled a bit and handed it to him.

Taking it from her gently, he tilted his head and stared at it, his mind running over when it could have taken place. There were no memories behind it for him, it was simply a photo. While he looked at it and then to her, he thought of something. Chi was strong, and her powers were very well tamed. Maybe she could show him just was she saw when she looked at that picture. She'd touched Charles for long enough... 

“Chi..” His voice was low, and as he rumbled, he continued to stare at the picture. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her tilt her head and flush orange. “Can you show me...just what you remember when you look at this..?” His question came with a bit of a grunt. He couldn't place why it was frustrating him. “I don't remember any of it...” He added, setting the picture on her bed gently.

“I can try...” She muttered, looking down at her hands. “I mean... I can't promise that I can hold it in place for long... But I can try.” She smiled up at him a little and held her hands out to his temples, like Charles had to her, before taking a deep breath and tilting her head.

“Ready...?” She asked, her fingers trembling a bit. But they stopped when he placed a hand to her knee and nodded with such certainty. He trusted her, and it was mind blowing to her just how easy it was for him. As she placed her fingers to his temples, they both felt the jolt, but she steered the ideas, instead of seeing into his mind, he was seeing in to the bits she could remember.

Playing before her, she could hear gunshots, and her ears twitched. Looking around, she smirked as she saw cigar smoke around a corner. And then she heard a rather boisterous laugh. James and Victor rounded a corner, Victor jesting with James about something, probably trying to steal his cigar again.

But as they caught sight of her, they both stopped and smiled, Victor walking over to put his arm around her neck and ruffled her short, boy cut hair with his huge hand. They talked about something but the verbiage was missing from her memory. At that moment, someone from the unit walked up and asked to take a picture of them. They all obliged after she'd finally managed to convince them that the memory would be worth it. 

A flash and there was a fight, hand to hand with some Confederates. They'd managed to get Chi pinned, and yet, just when James and Victor had appeared to rescue her, they saw something. A bayonet to the side and she'd lost her mind, her fangs growing and her eyes blazing red as well as her hands. Pouncing, all three men were down in a matter of seconds. Her eyes caught the sight of the two she did her best to suppress everything and hid her hands behind her back. At that moment, they looked at each other and then moved over to the boy they thought she was.

She'd convinced them that she'd changed her age to protect her father's farm. Which wasn't entirely a lie, she had changed her age. They stopped before her and Victor grabbed one of her hands, pulling it from behind her. He scrubbed at it with his shirt some and when the red changed back to black, he dropped it and looked up at James. Then he grabbed at her side, ripping some of the uniform cloth away from her wound as if to treat it only to freeze when he saw it healing up.

“Looky here, Jimmy.” Victor stated, holding the cloth to the side so James could look, and when he did, he cocked an eyebrow. “Seems there's another one of us...” He almost sounded like he was about to reveal her secret, but instead, he smirked and patted her on the back roughly. “Good to know we're not the only ones here.” He added, nodding to James who simply shrugged. Just as she was about to say something the memory rushed forward, near the turning point of the war.

There was a memory of trying to figure out what to call her and then Victor sat up from leaning against a tree with a thought. “Liger.” He stated, before looking at her. She tilted her head and he explained the creature in detail, speaking of its rarity and its prowess. A mix of a lion and a tiger. Sounded like a beautiful creature to her and so she nodded and Victor tossed her a cigarette and his lighter, which she promptly put to use, smirking at the two. A place to fit in, finally.

And then, with one more flash, there was a pain in her side and as she looked down, she felt the want to vomit as a huge, gaping hole had been made in her side. Possibly from a cannon ball. Looking to James and Victor, she fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. 

That was too much work for her regeneration to take. She remembered vaguely someone carrying her into a med tent. There was the smell of a cigar and in that moment she knew it to be James. She saw a blurred outline of his face and then the blinding pain hit her again.

As they entered the tent, Victor pulled a lady in, insisting she help their friend. The woman was telling him something about another tent but as her eyes fell on Chi they widened and she shook her head slowly. She had told them there was nothing she could do until Victor had managed to talk her in to at least patching her up so that she wouldn't look so gruesome. 

The woman complied, and soon her name was spoken. Clara. By the time Miss Barton had begun to undo her uniform, she had forgotten about staying under the radar. As Clara removed her jacket, her breasts becoming visible beneath her undershirt and she heard Victor let out a shout. But James didn't seem shocked at all.

After the patching was done and Clara had promised not to reveal her to the general, she looked up from the bed to James and Victor. Each had a very different look upon their faces. Victor seemed to be eyeing her pretty intensely, his eyes traveling her form hungrily as they lingered on the badges that now covered her entire chest. 

But James... James was staring her right in the eyes. He was the first to move toward her, and as he reached her, he put a hand on her shoulder, muttering something about her being tough for a woman, to which she snapped back and he let out a chuckle.

After a day or two, once her wound had healed, there was a blur of rendezvous with James. She'd snuck into his tent late one night, and saw him sleeping. With a smirk she walked over to him and straggled his form, which caused him to jump awake and his claws to protrude. Looking at his claws, she put a hand to his and looked back down at him with a low purr. 

He grabbed her and pulled her down, tearing her jacket from her and pulling her into a passionate kiss, growling low. Her ears heard a slight shuffle outside, but she ignored it. Victor wasn't who she was interested in. Men had looked at her the way he had and it was only to come out one way. Abuse. But the way James looked at her and made her feel...that was something real.

Just as she was about to pull her fingers away, the memory of their last night together however many years ago danced through her memory gracefully. There were words and then she had moved the living room furniture, pulling him up from the couch once he'd set his whiskey down. 

Taking her hand and putting the other to her hip, he'd begun to lead a slow dance. They danced about for a bit, gazing at each other. And then the words they both spoke next stood out so clear in her mind. “So in love with you am I...” She had whispered, her eyes flushed magenta as he'd pulled back from a kiss. “I love you too, Chi...” He'd rumbled back, pulling her in for another kiss.

With a small gasp, she pulled her fingers from his temples and watched as he opened his eyes and looked at her and then down at the old picture with a small smirk. Now the feelings made sense. So long ago, and yet the rush of it all was still so fresh. And the words he'd spoken to her that he'd never spoken to anyone else that he could remember. Looking up into her eyes, he grabbed her and put her in his lap, his fingers running through her hair as he smirked.

“You're a hellcat is what you are...” He rumbled, kissing her cheek as she smiled. “I'm glad you couldn't control the shift, Chi. That last memory...” He almost purred before pulling her close and nuzzling her neck. “That's a piece and a half of the puzzle for me and you...” His voice trailed off as he stared into her eyes, holding such a stare that made her feel bare in front of him.

And as much as she loved it, she couldn't help but flush pink with blush. She felt like he was looking her over, but it was almost as if he was looking into her soul. “Keep talking to Charles.” He nudged her cheek with his nose. “Maybe I can learn something else from you...” He added, nuzzling into her neck again with a sigh, wanting the awkwardness to disappear.

She purred out and put a hand to his neck, holding him against her. Each breath against her skin was giving her chills and she loved it. Smiling softly, she closed her eyes and let her colours zen out. For the first time in god knows how long, she was normal. 

Nudging him away a bit, he looked down at her and all of his features softened as he looked over her raven locks and her bright green eyes. Not her usual colourful eyes, but a normal green. Her pixels suppressed if only for a moment so that he could see just what she truly looked like.

“Chisana.” He smiled and kissed her cheek again which caused the pixels to rush to life again, this time with the magenta he had know for all those years. The happiness and love. Seeing the change, he smiled again and held her close. “I know the real you...” He nudged her shoulder and moved her hair from her face. “Colours or not, you're still an amazing little creature... My...amazing little creature.” He would have to get used to that. The fact that she was with him again, that she loved him.

She laughed a bit and fell back on to the bed, though still in his lap. Her hair played out over the bed, covering quite a bit of it and her pixels began to swirl around in pinks and purples, playing out on the bed like a moving picture. This was life the way it should be, the way it used to be, and as she looked up at him, she caught him staring fondly down at her. 

He shook his head and gestured for her to get up. She moved her legs and he looked down at the wild things on the bed with a smirk and a chuckle. Leaning down, he placed his lips to hers, causing her to freeze for a moment and then relax, kissing him back sweetly.

She stood up and he moved back she had to sit down on the edge of the bed quickly. “Head rush.” She laughed, smiling up at him as he held out his hand to her once more. Taking it, he stood her up slowly and as she went to smile again, her reflection caught her eye. 

She was in old, tattered clothes, holes still in her shirt from where James had pinned her and the blood from her wound had stained the materials deep. With a small sigh, she looked herself over and then looked up at him with a bit of a blush.

“I think I may need a decent pair of clothes... Something more...relaxed looking than this. I feel all...worn down but I'm not at all.” Thinking back, her eyes blued for only a second as she thought of how she had shredded Victor's jacket. He had helped do this to her, but he'd also tried to make things better... But he'd hidden the truth about James from her... 

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before smirking at James, which caused his head to tilt. “I know you have a bike...” She purred, moving to put her arms around his neck and smile up at him sweetly. “I can smell the oil and grease on you...” Her voice was silken and her eyes were a bright purple. “Can I borrow it?” She asked, trying to look innocent.

He let out a snort and rolled his eyes before shaking his head with a laugh. She was anything but innocent. “I don't see why not. But if you break it you rebuild the damn thing. Took me long enough to get it like it is now...” He mused, his mind running over the specifications on his bike. He was being serious, but he could help but smile at her as she stuck her tongue out at him playfully. 

Retrieving his keys from his pocket, he tossed them to her and as she caught them he pulled her up against himself, getting nose to nose with her and chuckling at her wide eyed expression. Placing a kiss on her lips, he rumbled as she kissed back and then pulled from him.

“Like I'd ruin something of yours...” She stated. “On purpose.” She muttered beneath her breath, only to see a scowl cross his face in a flash. Holding up her hands as she held her around the waist she laughed out. “I promise to be careful with the bike!” 

She grinned and kissed the tip of his nose before looking out the window and toward the garage. It would be nice to take a ride. Turning back to him, she ran her fingers through his hair and tilted her head just a bit. “Can I find you when I get back...?” She asked, an actual look of concern crossing her features.

“Why wouldn't you?” He asked, letting out a laugh as she almost looked surprised. “You're the one person I do want to be around, Chi. You're the one person I can stand in this place.” He muttered, watching as she smiled and turned a deep magenta. “Me too.” He added, smiling as he kissed her nose. “Now, go get clothes and I'll go have a conversation with Charles about you co-teaching. See what he thinks.” 

With that statement, he let her go and moved her hair from her face gently. Placing a quick kiss on her lips, he opened the door and just as he was about to disappear out it, he stopped. “Might be in the kitchen if it's supper time.” With that he was out the door and walked away casually, as if nothing happened.

With a smile and light sigh, she walked over to her window and opened it, stepping from it and landing gracefully on the ground beneath her. Looking around, she took in the sights around her. The grounds were so well kept, so beautiful. And there were students running around everywhere. 

One mutant boy throwing a football around with five of himself and some kid who was shooting clay birds with bolts of ice. He looked familiar, and as she walked closer, her mind flew back to the forest. Tapping his shoulder, she let out a breath of cold air, feeling his powers surge through her as he turned his head. Looking back at her as if to ask 'Yes?' she smiled.

“You're one of the two who saved me from Erik, aren't you?” She asked, smiling up at the boy who seemed to be no older than maybe his early twenties, maybe mid at most. He was so young to be in such control of his powers. And it was a breath of fresh air, seeing someone so young who was so sophisticated with their prowess. He could shoot the bolts effortless, create huge boulders of ice. He seemed to really know just what he was doing.

“Yeah. That would be me.” He smiled down at her, the ice blue fading from his own eyes a bit. “Although I can't take all the credit. Storm was the one who grabbed me to tag along. She was the lead in that situation. I think she's out right now, but I'm sure you'll run in to her at some point, if you stay.” He added, only to jut out his hand with such enthusiasm. “Name's Bobby. Bobby Drake.” He introduced himself with such confidence.

How pleasant he was, and so polite compared to so many others she had met, like the Brotherhood hoodlums. Shaking his hand, she smiled back as the ice began to rise up her forearms, her colours mocking it's colour to a t. He looked down at her with his head tilted, a bit taken aback and shock on his face. “Noelle. Pleasure to have had my ass saved by you.” She stated, smiling as he nodded and smirked and shook her hand.

“Pleasure to do the saving. Always good to get someone as far from Magneto as possible. Logan seems to like having you around too.” His statement was true, but she just shrugged only to jump back a bit as he shot a clay bird again. “Care to join? I wouldn't mind being able to see why the Professor wanted you save so bad.” He watched as Noelle grinned as the ice blue retreated from her pixels leaving purple to remain. So welcoming and kind.

“I would love to, but I kind of need a new wardrobe. Feeling a bit tattered.” She gestured toward her clothing and smiled a bit at him and his offer. It would be fun to shoot off a few bolts with him, maybe a friendly competition would do her good. But it would have to wait for now. “Definitely next time though.” She smiled and too a few steps toward the garage before waving back to him. “See you around kid!” She called, disappearing in to the garage with James' keys in her hand.

Looking over all the vehicles in the garage, her eyes fell upon James' bike. It was gorgeous and most definitely custom. A beautiful thing. And then a button caught her eye and she grinned a wicked grin. “Ooh... With turbo.” She whispered, running her fingers over the metal with a smirk. And just as she lowered to look at the detail in the paint job, another shiny caught her eye. A hot rod over on the other side of the garage. “Oooh....” She mused, whistling before shaking her head. “Focus...”

Grabbing the helmet that was handing on the handle, she put it on, pulling it tight before hoisting the single door behind it open. Walking it out of the garage, she stopped and shut the door before hopping on the bike. Putting the key in, she gave it a kick and it roared to life, purring beneath her. 

With a grin, she revved it once and the grin widened. So tempting to push the turbo button. Putting the kickstand up, she kicked off and took off, whizzing down the streets, heading toward the noise of the city, her ears alive with so many different sounds.


End file.
